Students in a private college went on a rampage to protest the relocation of their hostel, smashing window panes and setting fire to a wooden hut, a report said Thursday.

Police arrested at least 28 students of Tafe College in Seremban, after the incident Wednesday, The Star daily said.

It was believed that the students turned rowdy after the college's management told them to pack their bags and relocate to a new hostel far away, the newspaper said.

Police said the students may be charged with arson with the intention to destroy a building, a charge that carries up to 20 years in jail.

The college is owned by the MIC, which is a member of the ruling coalition.

Gangsters to blame

MIC president S Samy Vellu, who is also works minister, blamed local gangsters for influencing the mainly ethnic-Indian students and said those found guilty of the ruckus would be expelled.

"Most of them come from poor families. We pay the fees and educate them but the gangster elements from Seremban come and influence them, collect ransom money and create problems," he was quoted as saying.

Indians, who make up about seven percent of Malaysia's population of 23 million, are the third largest ethnic group after Malays and Chinese. AFP