Two politicians  one from the ruling Barisan Nasional and the other from the opposition  both Universiti Sains Malaysia graduates, today expressed their regrets over the punishment meted out by the university on six of its students recently.

The suspension of four of them is a bit harsh. Looking at the offences listed, I dont think they warrant a suspension, said Gerakan youth chief Teng Chang Yeow in a telephone interview with malaysiakini .

According to him, the students should be given room to express their dissent and not instead be punished for it.

If the university is concerned over anti-establishment sentiment in campus, it must examine why such feelings prevail and find ways to circumvent it, he said.

Last week, USM suspended four students and fined two others for their involvement in purported anti-establishment activities. Three of those suspended are members of the universitys Chinese Language Society (CLS).

They include CLS president Lee Yen Ting who was punished for her involvement in a protest against Vision Schools.

Teng said such severe punishment by the university would only further fuel anti-establishment feelings among the campus population.

The Gerakan youth leader said he will urge his party members who are members of parliament to bring the issue up in the Dewan Rakyat.

Clamping down

DAP member of parliament Teresa Kok said her party would also highlight the issue when parliament convenes next month.

Kok claimed that the suspension of the four students was the governments way of clamping down on student activists and was similar to the arrests of Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) members and reformasi activists under the ISA.

Now, they are doing the same thing with university students and lecturers, she said.

It is believed that 33 students who gathered in front of the universitys students affair department in a show of support for Lee and her fellow students hearing on August 1 last year will also face an inquiry by the university this Wednesday.

Relations between the CLS and university authorities have been strained ever since USM refused to endorse the societys planned participation in a Malaysia-Singapore inter-varsity debate in the republic last May.

The society, however, went ahead and participated in the event which resulted in its debaters being fined by the university upon their return.