It has been decades since what many believe to be the death of the Malaysian student movement, but a group of bright-eyed undergraduates are busy planting the seeds of revival.  

NONE “When we learnt about what happened in the student unions in the 1960s, we thought, ‘Wow, they were so united’, and started thinking about working towards that,” said education undergraduate P Dinesweri ( second from right in pic ).

A Universiti Malaya second year student, Dineswari, 23, is part of a group of 33 youths and students from public and private universities and university colleges from across Malaysia who are mobilising tertiary students to unite under one umbrella.

This umbrella group could be a union, she said, but this remains to be seen as it must be collectively decided upon at their inaugural event, the National Student Assembly that is fixed for Jan 11.

A one-day affair, the assembly will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and would kick off with the expected 300 participants from 85 institutes using the two minutes each they are given to share the problems which they face.

Student Parliament

Following that, the assembly would shortlist five issues and break into corresponding workgroups which will then produce an action plan to be debated in a Student Parliament in the latter half of the day.

NONE The Student Parliament would consist of all assembly participants, currently totaling about 150 people after registrations opened last week, thanks to the power of Facebook and Twitter .

The event is free, and all costs will be covered through donations and money raised by the secretariat members, some of whom are still in their teens.  

“The Student Parliament will decide where we will go next, whether this assembly would be an annual thing and how to implement the action plans.

“If we need money then we’ll work out fundraising plans. We will also be working with elected on-campus student representatives who have the network on the ground.

“Students are always complaining, so what we’re saying is take responsibility and find solutions,” she said.  

Apolitical platform for students

According to fellow secretariat member Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political science student Amir Farid Ruslan,23, the assembly is apolitical and is aimed at reaching out to all students across the political divide.

“The fact is that tertiary students, especially from public institutions, are divided into pro-government and perceived pro-opposition groups. We are taking the middle road to provide an avenue to students who are not keen in participating in these partisan movements.

“Only about 10 percent of students are active in the student bodies. We want to show that students can do more that just… put on batik shirts and attend dinners with cabinet ministers,” he said.

While none of the secretariat members are elected campus representatives, they said that their interactions with the student bodies have been positive.

The same can be said in terms of feedback from their professors, although the group is wary of claiming endorsement as they have not officially approached their respective institutions.

“Right now, we are seeing it as a small gathering of students. We have shared our ideas with lecturers whom we are close to and they have been helpful in working out how to put it into action,” said Dinesweri.