I refer to Campus polls: Anything but democratic and I have to say that I agree with the opinion lamenting the sorry state of the campus elections. Students who run for the so-called 'pro-establishment', or Aspirasi, camp are actually handpicked by the administration.

As far as I understand, the campus elections are meant to groom future leaders and that it should be organised and managed by students without any interference from the administration. In one particular campus, students are selected by the administration and he or she is not able to decline or else they will be labeled 'pro-opposition' and life will be hard for them.

Is this what we really want? To have people who do not want to stand but are there by virtue of them scoring enough points in their academic performance. Students who have decided to stand as independent candidates are then snapped up by the administration to run as pro-establishment candidates so that they will be able to win without contest.

And there are the students forcing their colleagues to protest the contest of their opponents due to some minor mistakes in the candidate forms so that they could win without contest. Is this what we call free elections? Oust your opponent at all cost so that you win not because you believe that you can serve the student community but because the administration thinks you should win?

What kind of leaders are we breeding? Just imagine what good it will do when these students who are 'well-trained' in this dirty-tricks department join the wider community when they graduate and supposedly be leaders in the future.

I was very amused when I read the notice of election. One of the criteria is that candidates are not suppose to represent any groups. Still, we have 'pro-establishment' and 'pro-opposition' tags. Why encourage such groupings? I thought campus election is suppose to be free from outside politics.

I am sure the government wants to make the universities world-class and looking at the current state, I am sad to say that students that are on the 'politically correct' side are getting enormous power. And these powers are being abused day in and day out. Well, I am sure the famous saying goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely".