It is DAP, not Barisan Nasional (BN) that sees a 'crisis' over institutions of higher learning, said newly-appointed Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed today.

He said this during the Question session at the Dewan Rakyat in response to a query from Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) as to whether a crisis is engulfing the nation's tertiary institutions.

"I want to emphasise that the government has admitted there are issues we have to deal with, but it has not reached the stage of a crisis. Ipoh Timur (Lim) likes to use the word 'crisis'. This is a DAP crisis, not BN's crisis," he stressed.

The minister told reporters later that he would not intervene in the on-going disciplinary proceedings against university students.

"I will leave it to the respective universities. Our universities are capable and I have full confidence in them to deal with the cases," he said.

As for the students, the minister cautioned them against involvement in protests and demonstrations. He said there were other avenues, such as student councils, through which they could air their grouses.

Students are bound by the Universities and University Colleges Act which is claimed to stifle intellectual freedom and curb dissent.

'Concentrate on studies'

Mustapa urged students to focus on their education and not to put their future at risk.

"We want our students to study. Concentrate (on studies). If they breach the law, then they will be hauled up. We have laws in this country. You are studying, so don't get involved in demonstrations," he said.

More than 20 students from Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia have been hauled up for disciplinary hearings over the last campus elections.

The elections, which saw the 'pro-establishment' faction taking control of all 17 public universities for the first time, were marred with allegations of irregularities. The rival 'pro-student' faction boycotted the polls.

UM cases dropped

When replying Lim earlier, Mustapa said his ministry was studying the disciplinary charges against the students.

"I have to stress that we are studying the cases. We have to take public interest into account and be fair to the students concerned," he said.

The minister also revealed that charges against 17 UM students were dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Malaysiakini reported today that 15 of the students were let off after being told that some of the evidence against them had 'vanished'. Two others had their hearings postponed indefinitely.

The 17 were accused of being involved in an 'illegal assembly' in front of the Parliament building to protest the alleged irregularities in the 2005 campus elections.

Quizzed on this, the minister insisted that charges against all the students, and not just the 15 as reported, had been dropped.

On another matter, Mustapa said the ministry would ensure that all university vice-chancellors are capable of carrying out their duties.

However, he did not give a definitive answer to Lim when asked if the contract of UM vice-chancellor Dr Hashim Yaacob would be renewed when it expires at the end of this month.

"He (Hashim) is still in service and the service (contract) is not due yet. Therefore, now is not the time to make any decision," Mustapa said.