About 80 pro-Mahasiswa students this afternoon rallied in front of the Ministry of Higher Education in Putrajaya calling for immediate campus elections.

NONE The group gathered at about 2.45pm and former Universiti Malaya (UM) Student Council president Mohd Syahid Mohd Zain attempted to handover a memorandum and a tombstone to Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The memo was accepted by Mohadmed Khaled’s political secretary, but he rejected the tombstone meant to symbolise ‘the death of student democracy’.

The memo was endorsed by eight student organisations, including Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia and Pro-Mahasiswa.

The term of the student council at UM had expired in February, but instead of having fresh polls this month, a “caretaker council” was formed, which did not reflect the composition of the previous council.

NONE The anti-establishment students want the elections that had been postponed to September to be held by Apr 16, so that a new council with a fresh mandate can be formed, failing which the matter would be taken to the Agong.

It is understood that several other public universities are facing the same situation, and SMM president Ahmad Syukri Ab Razab said this would inhibit the students’ political education.

“They are fearful of the ghost or spectre of the University and University Colleges Act, and campus elections remain the sole method students can learn politics that is officially approved, and that too has been killed off by the Ministry of Higher Education.

“This marks the death of all democratic space on campus,” he said.