UKM rebels take to politics after graduating

More than three months after graduating, two of the four University Kebangsaan Malaysia students who mounted a constitutional challenge to the University and University College Act are now working for politicians as aides.

Muhammad Hilman Idham ( right in photo with Woon ) is an aide to Gombak MP Azmin Ali and Woon King Chai to Deputy Sports and Youth Minister Gan Ping Sieu.

Their comrades-in-arms, Muhammad Ismail Amunuddin is in sales and Azlin Shafina Mohamad Azda has enlisted in the Malaysian Territorial Army.

While Hilman's journey into the political world was expected, Woon's path today was accidental.

"When I entered political science stream (in university after STPM), I had no idea what was political science, it was given by UPU (Central University Unit) and it was my 7th or 8th choice.

"But when I entered the first lecture, it grabbed my attention, political science was like a lens to analyse our society," recounted Woon who hails from Kluang.

Despite the interest, the eldest son from a family of five children was reluctant to be involved in campus politics even though Hilman had tried to coax him into it for over a year.

"Even (when courting) my girlfriend, I did not take one and a half years (as I did to convince Woon to contest in campus elections)," quipped Hilman.

"I have to give credit to Hilman (for politicising me),"Woon chipped in.

Police crackdown backfires

The turning point, he said, was a few months prior UKM's campus election in 2010, when Hilman invited him to witness some 40 students protesting against campus e-voting in front of the Higher Education Ministry in Putrajaya.

"When we saw a situation like that, I couldn't help but think - I said these exact words - apa dosa mahasiswa? (What sin have the undergraduates committed?) What is so bad that you need five to six police trucks at the Higher Education Ministry?" he recounted.

In contrast, Hilman, the eldest of his two siblings with some former student leaders among his extended family, enjoy debating politics together with their dinner.

He added that his father was a businessman, often travelling to Indonesia, bringing back with him insights into the political scene there, on top of being an avid reader, something that exercised a deep influence on him.

Despite being a political animal, Hilman pointed out that his introduction to university's political environment turned him off from campus politics.

He added that the Islamists, typically donning kopiah (skull cap) and coats dominate the Pro-Mahasiswa faction while the Pro-Aspirasi was in the hands of pro-establishment representatives typically in "F1 T-shirts" or batik T-shirts.

"These two contrasting entities, even when we felt like being active (in campus politics), neither side was suitable," Woon concurred.

‘Rising of the third force'

However, a change of heart took place when what Woon described as the "third force" emerged from a political discussion group they participated in, giving rise to the Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (Kami).

Multi-racial and ideologically diverse, it was the same ticket under which they ran in the campus election.

"After that, we had discussions with both Pro-Mahasiswa and Pro-Aspirasi but in the end we decided that the principles of pro-Mahasiswa were more consistent with ours," said Hilman.

During the campaign, the two undergraduates had been rebels of sorts, defying university rules on campaigning.

"The campus election system has many illogical rules, making undergraduates robots. For example, all your posters have to be A4, even the font type and size are controlled, it kills the creativity of the younger generation.

"When we contested, we refused to follow, our posters were A3," said Hilman.

‘MCA, PKR, its new politics'

Having stood together in campus, it is odd that Hilman today serves a PKR politician and Woon with a MCA politician - two directly opposing political parties.

"This is what they call new politics," laughed Woon, adding that change and democratisation do not always only come from one side.

"When we meet in Parliament, we always sit together."

Concurring, Hilman said despite differences in political ideology, both of them were united in the opposition to the UUCA and the suspension of constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari by Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) for commenting on the sultan's decree.

The suspension of Aziz, ( right ) Woon said, comes from a structure created by the UUCA that rigidly defines the role of a student or a lecturer, leaving them no space to go beyond the mundane task of learning and teaching.

"What is so sensitive that cannot be discussed? In my opinion, it is the sensitive things that have to be discussed to provoke the thought of the people," added Hilman.

He also acknowledged that lecturers had been less vocal compared with undergraduates in defending Aziz.

"They are a group with families and children with heavy burdens and responsibilities, so if they are suspended or sacked (for defending Aziz), who will care for their children?

"We do not blame them... but I am confident that they will voice out, especially in the general election," said Hilman.

Woon added that even though lecturers did not voice out publicly, there were many who were working behind the scenes to defend Aziz and by extension, academic freedom.

"Even in our (UKM4) case, we realised that there were many lecturers who supported us," he said.

‘We've never severed ties'

Three months after the UKM4 charted their own course, the Hulu Selangor incident has kept them together, said Woon.

"I live in Kajang, and Ismail lives in Bangi, so sometimes we play futsal together," he said.

"Azlin lives in Kelantan but we still keep in touch through text messages and we keep updating each other like siblings," added Hilman, and the same applies to their relationship with current undergraduates.

"Even though we have graduated, we have never severed ties with the undergraduates."

Delivering a word of advice to them, Hilman said they should not be disheartened if their forums or congresses do not enjoy good turnouts, but press on regardless with spreading their message through the social media, especially in the fight against UUCA.

 

 

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The interview was jointly conducted by Abdul Rahim Sabri and Nigel Aw .

 

INTERVIEW WITH UKM4

Part 1: Ex-UKM students: Detained, like in a Tamil film

Part 2: Lecturer cancelled classes in support of us, say UKM4

Part 3: UKM rebels take to politics after graduating

YOURSAY: UKM 4 shall have a place in history