A Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) student who was expelled last month expressed regret at the Education Minister's statement last night which urged all private institutions of higher learning to reject dismissed students.
The second-year student, Rafzan Ramli was immediately expelled on June 22 after being found guilty of being involved in an anti-ISA protest in front of the National Mosque on June 8.
"My entire dream to become an educated and knowledgeable person, by acquiring university education, has been completely destroyed," said the electrical engineering student.
Musa Mohamad was reported as saying, "we (Education Ministry) have advised private institutions of higher learning not to accept such students" in consistent with the ministry's policy that prohibits expelled students from attending other public varsities.
Rafzan and five other students were detained at the Dang Wangi lockup in Kuala Lumpur for 24 hours and freed on police bail. Police have yet to charge the group.
Rafzan is now awaiting a reply from the ministry on the status of his appeal made a day after his expulsion.
"If UiTM maintains its stand on my expulsion and the minister rejects my appeal, the door to higher education here will be shut on me forever," he said.
The student activist stressed that the opportunity to gain the highest level of education possible is a basic human right and he should not be discriminated against.
The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will mediate between the university's disciplinary board and Rafzan at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, 10am, tomorrow.
Rafzan sent a memorandum to the human rights body a day after his expulsion and urged, among others, for Suhakam to investigate the disciplinary board which he alleges is biased and unfair, and for UiTM to rescind his expulsion which he considers to be an undemocratic act.
Dissident students
Rafzan's expulsion is the first among a series of actions being taken against 'dissident students' in local public varsities.
Last week the National Malaysian Youth Association (PPNM) lodged a police report against Peninsular Islamic Students Coalition (Gamis), an unregistered group, for carrying out illegal activities in various public varsities.
In a speech at Universiti Malaya last Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also alleged that "militant students" had caused the fire at the Dewan Tunku Canselor. He told students to stay away from demonstrations, urging them to "study first, (dabble in) politics later".
Four students of the International Islamic University (UIAM) were today questioned for their involvement in the Abolish ISA Student Movement (GMMI) while seven Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) students faced disciplinary action yesterday for participating in a debate in Singapore without permission, selling anti-ISA badges and releasing a press statement without authorisation.
