A group of Universiti Sains Malaysia students who held a peaceful rally this morning protesting alleged electoral fraud in Sunday's general election were disrupted by an unidentified group.

The students' rally outside the Sungai Dua exit of their campus, dubbed "Black GE13", ended with two of their members "roughed up" by the thugs from a hostile group numbering about 60.

NONE The USM students are not certain where this group came from, but they arrived as the students were about to launch a petition condemning racism.

The scuffle that ensued forced the students to retreat to the office of human rights NGO Suaram, located across the street from the Sungai Dua exit gate.

The students said the thugs used pepper spray to disperse them. Some of them were pushed to the ground, one was punched on his head and one of the thugs also tried to grab a camera from a Chinese newspaper journalist.

MP escorts students back to campus

Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, who arrived later, said the students were a multiracial group protesting racism, the use of ‘Chinese tsunami'  expression by Prime Minister Najib Razak and other terms by BN leaders to justify their poor performance in the election.

After a talk with the police present at the site, Sim escorted the students back to their campus. He said he would accompany the two who were roughed up to lodge their police reports.

NONE Meanwhile, the two students who were attacked at the event are

Kew Si Cheng and Chong Chun Yao.

Kew, one of those in charge of the event, said it was not organised by any specific group.

Kew was later accompanied by Sim to lodge a police report at the Sungai Nibong Police station.

Police reportedly told the media that they were present to disperse the rally because the organisers did not obtain a permit.