The Prime Minister's Department (JPM) is conspiring with the police to meddle in campus politics and stifle student democracy for BN's political survival ahead of the general election, student group Pro-Mahasiswa Nasional (PMN) claims.

PMN alleged that the operation, dubbed ‘Opps 2020', involves postponing campus elections and taking disciplinary action against students under the Universities and University Colleges Act.

NONE At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning, PMN spokesperson Edikoup Lakip Sediyanto ( right in photo ) claimed that a meeting took place on Jan 25 at the Akademi Kenegaraan, which falls under the National Civics Bureau.

Edikoup named three police officers who were at the meeting. Among them was a Special Branch officer understood to be a senior officer in the Social Extremist Threats Division of the police headquarters at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.

“(Premier Najib Abdul Razak) is so trapped that he is forced to use the police to kill campus democracy for the political survival of BN in the 13th general election,” said Edikoup, reading out a statement.

The three police officers, JPM and Najib were given a week to explain the situation, failing which the PMN will reveal more details.

NONE PMN president Mohd Taufiq Abdul ( right ) said the group has copies of the certified minutes of the meeting, but declined to reveal these to the media, saying this would only be done if the group does not receive a response within the deadline.

Edikoup further said their source is a “concerned government official”, but did not elaborate.

Opps 2020 is said to refer to the 20 public higher education institutions that BN intends to “control”, according to Mohd Taufiq.

From 2007 to 2011, pro-student groups in public universities had made headway in campus politics, he said, citing Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as examples.

The government “cannot win” in the three universities and Opps 2020 is therefore part of an effort to obtain “20/20 control” over the universities, he said.

Incidents like the police response to the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris sit-in and the suspension of its student Adam Adli , as well as the suspension of five Kolej Universiti Insaniah students, were part of this effort, the PMN statement said.

‘Are students criminals?’

Mohd Taufiq also questioned why police presence was necessary in discussing university matters such as campus elections, asking: “Are students criminals?

The statement added: “The existence of this conspiracy and the involvement of the (police force) in matters of campus democracy (amounts to) irresponsible interference.

NONE “At the student level, we will continue our series of revelations and exposes to ensure that no party continues to act wrongly and irresponsibly in violating campus democracy.”

When contacted, Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah ( left ) denied any such conspiracy, also saying he has no knowledge of this, and expressed confidence that Najib is not involved.

"Before this, for example, in the presidential election of the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC), the prime minister's name was allegedly linked to a candidate,” he said in a text-message.

"I asked the prime minister himself and he denied it. According to him, he respects the space for our youth to make their own leadership decisions."

Saifuddin was MYC president from 1998 to 2002.