Universiti Sains Malaysia has imposed 10 conditions on the suspended Chinese Language Society (PBT), which included a gag on the organisation from speaking to the media, before it is allowed to resume its activities.

"The conditions are harsh," said PBT's former secretary Choo Chon Kai, who is also member of society's Out-Campus Support Committee a group of former USM students.

It was earlier reported that USM will only allow the society to hold its annual general meeting, and resume its status as a legitimate campus body, if it signs the agreement spelling out the conditions.

However, a source told malaysiakini that leaders of the society were against inking the agreement.

Among others, the stipulated conditions would further restrict the society from speaking to the media without prior approval from the university.

On top of having to abide to the Universities and University Colleges Act a law which restricts student activities PBT are not allowed to speak to any uninvited reporters in activities organised by the society.

The society is also forbidden to make press statements without the permission from the university and cannot obtain support from any political parties or non-governmental organisations, such as Chinese education movement Dong Jiao Zong.

The conditions will also prohibit PBT from airing its grievances publicly as the society cannot distribute news on such matters.

The university also banned the society from posting its statements on any websites, citing online news portal malaysiakini as an example.

Lift the ban

The Out-Campus Support Committee has issued a statement urging the university authority to unconditionally lift the ban on the society.

The support group had earlier held a press conference in Penang, where the main campus of the university is located, to convey their opposition.

"We want express our concern and urge USM to allow PBT to hold its AGM without having to accept the conditions," said Choo.

PBT has been technically suspended from organising activities on campus since last September after it received a show-cause letter from the university seeking an explanation a number of alleged offences committed by the society.

The society is still engaged in a nearly two-year-old stand off with the university after some of its members were said to have gone against a directive to participate in an inter-varsity Chinese language debate competition in Singapore.

The university had subsequently took disciplinary action against the participants.

It has also punished students who took part in the protests against the introduction of vision schools and for distributing anti-Internal Security Act leaflets in the campus.