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Politics 101 - don’t practise what you learn from varsities

YOURSAY | ‘The university should not interfere in the political pursuits of students.’

Private unis to act on students who join 'illegal gatherings'

Turvy: Foreign universities on local soil are legally indistinguishable from other higher educational institutions, which term also embraces those that bear the names of universities established in other countries.

They are only foreign in the name they bear because they rely on local staff, local resources, local students and (most of them) on local capital to plant their tents here. If there is any use for them in this country, it is only the hope that they would bring with them values and practices that would advance the development of higher education in this country.

I was once a student of Monash, not in Bandar Sunway but in Clayton. I cannot imagine a letter like the one in question being issued to students in Clayton.

But how can you hope for such lofty expectations from the grubby business arms of respectable universities out here to make a few dollars, whatever the moral costs?

I think it would be useful for the university to check local laws, especially those regulating private higher educational institutions and recent decisions of our higher courts before issuing such directives.

Sure, the university is free to make its own rules for its own students and if this is one such rule, it should probably have a closer look at how old their students are.

Kim Quek: Monash University Malaysia is a joint venture between Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Monash University. As such, both joint venture partners are held responsible for this threatening circular which undermines the constitutional rights of students to participate in a peaceful assembly, in this case, the Bersih 5 rally, to which the circular was actually targeting.

We understand that tycoon Cheah (controlling shareholder of the Sunway group) may be either pro-BN or subjected to pressure from BN to oppose this Bersih rally, but as owner of a reputable institution, he must allow the institution to uphold the principles and ideals held sanctimonious in a fine institution in a democratic society, among which are democratic values and fundamental human rights.

The university should not interfere in the political pursuits of students, neither should it do policing for the state as it does now. It should therefore immediately withdraw this uncalled for circular.

As for the students, they should feel free to participate in the rally, which is perfectly legal under Peaceful Assembly Act, as the requisite notice has been given. In fact, they should go, as Bersih is on a noble mission to pressure the government to restore fair elections and clean government.

They must also understand that an assembly does not become illegal just because the inspector-general of police (IGP) says so. In this case, the IGP has clearly acted unconstitutionally, prompted obviously by improper political motives.

Patriotism is among the noblest of values, and the students should not miss this golden opportunity to do what they can for the country.

Odin Tajué: I agree that it is not right to stop students from participating in the Bersih rally planned for this Saturday. However, I have stepped back and viewed the situation as a neutral party.

Should Monash University Malaysia registrar Susheela Nair (and the particular person from Curtin University Sarawak) be castigated? I think probably not. If she has issued the proscription on her own volition, then she deserves to be censured in the harshest of terms.

But logic tells me that it is highly likely that she has been instructed by the operators of Monash University Malaysia to prohibit attendance. As she is an employee, she has had no choice but to comply with the instruction or forfeit her employment.

Should her employer, then, be condemned? I think probably not, too. One need to bear in mind that Malaysia is not a country practising democracy, such as Australia, America and Britain, and run by leaders who are in the main well-educated and well-bred.

Malaysia is really a fascist, monocratic country practising kleptocracy and masquerading as a democratic one. Those in power would not hesitate to penalise Monash (and Curtin) were its students found participating in the rally.

The operators of either university would have spent hundreds of millions to set up their campus, acquire tools and equipment for teaching and studying purposes, and recruit and pay their teaching and administration staff.

If they have incurred the displeasure of the regime, the operating of their business could be made very difficult till they have no choice but to throw in the towel, and which means that they would lose all their investment.

On the other hand, the non-participation of their students might draw ire from parties deploring the regime, but they are surely aware that humans generally have a very short memory, and thus the anger would soon be forgotten.

Should they lose all their massive investment or suffer a much less painful volley of brickbats that would last no more than one or, at most, two rounds? The answer is obvious.

Annonymous: Students are also citizens of the country and do not lose their constitutional rights in a democratic and free country.

The protection of students’ rights to free speech and privacy - in and out of school - is essential for ensuring that schools provide both quality education and training in our democratic system and values to ensure optimum and positive development of these students and future leaders of the country.

We are certain these universities wouldn't dare to issue such threats to students in their own country. They would lose their licence if they ever threaten or abuse the students and use stupid attempt to suppress the rights of the citizens to peaceful dissent against any form of injustice.

Retnam: Monash is a private university. Students pay about RM100,000 to study there. Will the university sack any of the students and lose the RM100,000 each? This, I want to see.

Headhunter: Yes, all Monash students should make it a point to attend the Bersih rally on Saturday and let Monash sack them and see how they can survive without the fees paid by students.

After all, Monash is no Cambridge or Oxford and many private universities would warmly welcome them as fee-paying students. This is the height of arrogance and smacks of their obvious political leaning.

Whatever happened to their high ideal of freedom of expression and democracy for all free men and women? Have they lost it somewhere along the way?

Inworldnotof: The deterioration of the country is systemic: state turning rogue, a fast failing education system that produces PhDs with poor language skills, not enough funding for blood tests and medications, activist students who speak up and ask the right questions are punished and suspended; lawmakers who speak up on behalf of Malaysians, the poor and marginalised are jailed; wrong is right and right is wrong; threats and intimidations like this one to basic citizens’ rights and fundamental human liberties and freedoms.

As they cannot think for themselves, they survive on the herd mentality. At the rate things are going, the direction indicated in the letter to the students, is to follow the herd over the cliff.

Odysseus: I would assume these universities are teaching their student Politics 101 and subjects on parliamentary democracy, etc.

Yet, they are forbidding their students from practicing what they learn. I will discourage parents from sending their children to study in these universities.


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