Former higher education deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah has chastised universities for barring their students from attending the Bersih 4 rally.

He lamented the heads of some universities are behaving like Umno leaders, and said that it would be within the rights of students to attend the rally as long as they are peaceful.

“Some university leaders are acting like Umno leaders. That’s very unfortunate. You don’t have to make a statement that you bar students from attending Bersih 4.

“It is really up to them (the students). It is their right to attend.

“So long as they don’t get themselves involved in anything violent and anything that is unconstitutional, they have the same rights as anyone else,” said Saifuddin, a former Umno supreme council member.

He was speaking to reporters after a forum in Petaling Jaya last night, where he was asked to comment on the ban on university students from participating in the rally on Aug 29 and 30 in Kuala Lumpur.

Concurrent rallies will also be held in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and several major cities around the world.

Yesterday, it was reported that several universities have issued statements warning its students not to attend the rally, including threats of disciplinary action including suspension or expulsion.

The institutions justified this claiming the rally is allegedly illegal.

Double punishment for sit in

Meanwhile, Saifuddin expressed concern that universities will also take action against the students who were arrested on Tuesday night following a sit-in protest outside the Parliament.

They were calling for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s resignation.

The 16 students and one activist are being investigated under Section 124B of the Penal Code for activities “detrimental to parliamentary democracy”.

He said if action is taken against the students under the Penal Code by the government, as well as under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) by universities, then it would be double punishment.

“I really hope that universities don’t do that, because then it would be double jeopardy to the students.

“Already you have been charged outside, and then you are charged inside for the same reason,” said Saifuddin, who now heads the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation.

He said this when asked about media reports last night that University of Malaya’s (UM) administration is considering expulsion for UM Students Association (PMUM) president Ammar Attan, who was among the 16 arrested.

'Definition arbitrary'

To a question whether the university could expel Ammar, Saifuddin said the problem lies with a clause in the UUCA that prohibits students from taking any action that may be construed as being detrimental the good name of the university.

“Of course if you argue in the context of law, what is ‘detrimental’ must be reasonable.

“But we have cases in the past where universities were not reasonable when they applied the meaning of ‘detrimental’.

“So it is a very all-encompassing and very wide term. It is really up to the discretion of the universities,” he said.

The news site The Ant Daily quoted unnamed sources last night that UM is considering expelling Ammar ( above ), while lecturers from the economic student’s faculty are rushing to build a case for his defence.

“He is a good student. With good results and always attends classes.

“He is only trying to help and do good for society. He shouldn't be punished,” the report quoted the source saying.