The annual campus elections in several universities are tainted with 'money politics' and several student leaders had alleged it to be the work of Umno Youth.

They also claimed that family members of 'anti establishment' candidates were subject to harassment via threatening phone calls.

According to sources, the 'anti establishment' factions are staring at defeat in the campus polls today as the 'pro establishment' groups are expected to "win on technicality" since they are fully backed by the respective universities' undergraduates affairs department.

Money and mobile phone

The 'anti establishment' factions are currently dominating five major universities - Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM).

The undergraduates affairs departments in these universities have been alleged to receive monetary contributions from a government party to sponsor all the 'pro establishment' candidates, according to the sources.

(All of them are speaking on condition of anonymity as the Universities and University Colleges Act prohibits students from making public statement without a written approval from the vice-chancellor)

In UM, the sources said that the 'pro establishment' candidates received RM1000 as campaign expenses and one mobile phone each for their willingness to contest. UM has 39 campus and faculty seats to be contested.

In UIA, it is said that the candidates were given RM1000 each upon their nomination.

"A university official informed us that a high-ranking Umno Youth leader had called them, telling them that the wing is willing to sponsor all these candidates.

"We were also told that RM15,000 were allocated to candidates to assume the top posts in the student council," a council member told malaysiakini.

Another source said that the 'pro establishment' candidates in UPM are considered less 'lucky' as they were only given RM500 each as campaign expenses.

Threatening phone calls

Meanwhile, three UPM candidates reported to the university's authority yesterday claiming that members of their families had received threatening calls back in their hometowns on Sunday, a day after nomination day.

According to one second year chemistry student candidate, his mother received a call from someone who claimed to be his friend telling her that his son was actively participating in opposition party PAS activities and like to speak in Malay with fellow Chinese students.

A second year biotechnology student claimed that her family received a call from a person claiming to be her Malay coursemate telling them that she recently broke up with her boyfriend, became very emotional and joined PAS.

These three students are Chinese.

Another female student's family member was told over the phone that she was involved in an 'anti-Mahathir' campaign and would be expelled from the university if she continues with her involvement.

UPM student progressive front spokesperson Loo Pei Chin said it was unfortunate that there were people out to create fear among students for being involved in the democratic system on campus.

"The calls had threatened the personal safety of these candidates as well as their family members. It is aimed at using family pressure against these candidates from participating in the campus election," she said.

"It is interesting to know who reveal their contact numbers and personal particulars to those callers," Loo said.

Warning to students

Sources said that UKM is also alleged to have called in all the first year students for briefings over the past few days where they were allegedly told to vote only for the university-sponsored candidates.

Failure to do so would see them being expelled as they were also told that their voting could be traced, the sources added.

Last Thursday, PAS Youth lodged a report to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia calling for a postponement of the campus election and urged the commission to conduct investigation on the allegation that the 'pro-establishment' candidates were sponsored by the university.

Responding to this, Deputy Education Minister Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin ( photo ) told malaysiakini at the Parliament's lobby that "if the government is involved, I believed PAS is also involved".

Its parliamentary secretary Mahadzir Mohd Khir however said he was puzzled why the students "like to turn the campus election into a general election where it becomes a fight between the government and opposition".

Last Wednesday, Education Minister Musa Mohamed said the campus election is " clean enough "

In May Umno Youth had said that it was gaining an upper hand in its efforts to free the varsity campuses from the control of opposition parties.