Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan today criticised Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for taking action against several of its students who submitted a memorandum to the commission in December last year.

"It seems there are people in UTM who have no respect for Suhakam. Maybe they should be reminded that Suhakam was established by an Act of parliament and tasked to hear grievances from Malaysians who feel they have been unjustly treated," he said.

"If the UTM students do not submit their memorandum to us, then to whom should they send it to?", Hamdan asked.

Commenting on the case of the 18 students charged for various 'offences', including the submission of a memorandum to Suhakam concerning their grouses over last year's campus elections, Hamdan said the UTM authority would look at the issue more positively and advise the students accordingly.

He told malaysiakini that Suhakam was prepared to meet the students soon and confirmed that a request was made by them to meet Suhakam commissioners.

Hamdan said he sympathised with the plight of the students and maintained that they did the right thing by airing their grievances to Suhakam.

"Suhakam, after all, was set up to hear grievances from the people. Let there be no doubt about that role", he stressed.

Hearing postponed

Meanwhile, it is learnt that today's hearing for the four students charged for 'bad behaviour' for demanding to meet with Education Minister Musa Mohamad over the discrepancies in the campus elections, was postponed as only one student turned up.

According to a source, a six-man committee headed by UTM deputy vice-chancellor decided to postpone the hearing for up to 10 days.

Yesterday, seven of the students charged for various offences under the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) had appealed for more time to prepare themselves for the hearing.