Student groups from local universities are crying foul over a new set of campus election rules imposed on them, which they believe are being used by the authorities to block certain students from contesting in the student body elections.

University Malaya (UM) now requires aspiring candidates for student association elections to attend a special course, while Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (Palapes) of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) now prohibits its members from taking part in such polls.

According to Tan Tiong Yih, spokesperson for the UM's Association of New Youth (Umany), which is aligned with the anti-establishment pro-Mahasiswa front, the special course conducted by UM aims to "indoctrinate" students intending to stand for elections.

The students will be "trained" in the university's policy and its vision and its mission. Attempts will also be made to "educate" them on the pro-Mahasiswa and the pro-establishment "pro-Aspirasi" fronts.

university students multiracial Students in public universities in the country have in recent years turned more vociferous on issues outside the campus as well, and UM is seen as a traditional hotbed of student activism.

Last year's UM student elections saw the two fronts in keen contest, ending with the pro-campus administration front pro-Aspirasi gaining control of the student council in the polls tainted by claims of irregularities in a newly implemented electronic-voting system.

Umany's Tan said those staying away from the special course would not be allowed to stand in the 2011-12 campus elections.

Reached for response, the campus administration declined to comment or provide details on the "special course" for those intending to be student body leaders.

While the pro-Mahasiswa group is yet to decide whether to boycott the election, it nevertheless wants the UM administration to drop the compulsory aspect of the new rule. Aspirants to the students' council, it said, should be free to decide whether to attend the course or not.

um universiti malaya campus polls 140109 07 This year the UM authorities will  also introduce an electronic nomination system, called "e-penamaan",  - another controversial move after the electronic voting system was brought in last year.

The university carried out a test run of the system from 3.30pm on Tuesday till 3pm yesterday, during which students were asked to log onto the "e-nomination" website to nominate their candidates. However, most students with the pro-Mahasiswa front did not.

Nominations for the UM polls are scheduled for Feb 17,  a Thursday, with voting to be held on a Monday, Feb 21.

This has sparked dissatisfaction among the pro-Mahasiswa front as the candidates will have just a little over a day to canvass, since the campus is usually empty on weekends with no lectures or any form of activity.

At UPM, the president of its pro-Mahasiswa front, Syed Syafiq Syed Hashim, said the students were informed that Palapes now forbids its members from taking part in campus elections, including nominating candidates or proposing resolutions.

In a statement, UPM's pro-Mahasiswa front said the prohibition amounted to denying democracy for the students. Every student, it said, whether a member of Palapes or not, should be allowed to take part in the polls, and  called on the campus authority to drop the new directive.