Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, during a visit to Universiti Malaya in 1995, told students that they could freely express their opinions and register their protests by holding demonstrations.

Restrictions imposed under the Universities and University Colleges Act, he stressed, do not pose an obstacle for them to carry out their political activities.

That was then. A time when the government was not tormented by the isolated pockets of student activism in our educational institutions. A time when jailed deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim was to receive Mahathir's mantle as the country's new leader. And a time when reformasi was not part of our everyday vocabulary.

But things have clearly changed.

Now, students are expelled for participating in anti-government demonstrations. Some are arrested and interrogated for weeks under the Internal Security Act. Show-cause letters are issued to those who demonstrate the slightest show of defiance - such as donning an anti-ISA badge.

While universities have often been an anti-establishment outpost, now, more than ever, students are seen as a threat. After all, the government is fast losing ground among the youth. Indeed, for the first time in recent memory, government ministers face outright hostility when venturing into campuses.

Which is why the government wants to cleanse these educational institutions of pro-opposition sympathies. And that task is given to the vice-chancellors, who were told to perform their national duty.

Serving political masters

These university authorities know how to serve their political masters well. When you can't ensure victory for the pro-establishment students in campus elections, then change the rules. While opposition cadres are banned from the campuses, Puteri Umno - and to a lesser extent Umno Youth - are openly recruiting members.

Not surprisingly, both of these Umno offshoots need to show that their hard work has paid off in the recent student elections. Which explains the spin on how they have wrested control of eight of the 14 public universities.

True, pro-establishment forces have made inroads into the opposition bastions - which include some of the country's top universities. They bagged additional seats in opposition strongholds - campuses such as Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Technology Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa.

Much of it thanks to new rules imposed by the authorities - no open campaigning, election pacts banned, posters to be approved by university authorities, anti-establishment candidates disqualified, and academic requirements lowered at the eleventh hour to enable pro-establishment students to contest.

Apparently, the mainstream media bought the spin.

In reality, despite the gains, anti-establishment students remain very much entrenched in the country's six major universities. This, even when they had to contest under rules which favour their opponents. The eight campuses which were said to be won by 'pro-government' students are smaller and newer campuses in which the opposition has little presence.

Moreover, it is erroneous for the media to label students as either 'pro-government' or 'pro-opposition'. Included among those who are 'pro-government' are apolitical candidates who are not aligned to any ruling parties. They won because they are popular, while those categorised as 'pro-opposition' are not necessarily linked to opposition parties such as PAS and Keadilan.

Dishonest act

Indeed, the current crop of political leaders is being dishonest in seeking to purge the universities of student activism. After all, many of them were graduates of past student movements, either here or overseas.

University students must free themselves of the 'aid' mentality which has been drummed into them by the powers that be - that they should be grateful to the government, that they should not concern themselves with matters other than their education, that they have no role to play outside their campuses.

To sit on their hands would be a denial of their duty to society.

Education has been a powerful tool in the struggle of national independence and social change in many nations. It is no different in Malaysia. This is because students have the energy, enthusiasm and idealism to turn hope into facts, dream into realities, words into action.

In the past, students were at the forefront of the anti-colonialism struggle. Today, we are facing the challenges of building a progressive nation and creating a just world. Like their predecessors, university students should meet these challenges. And if this means being involved in politics, so be it.

If Umno wants to dabble in student politics, it should be welcomed. However, it must level the playing field. Repeal the UUCA. Remove the shackles from our students. Ensure that the university administrations respect students' rights.

And yes, follow Mahathir's advice - then, not now.