Bersih is urging Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to drop disciplinary proceedings against two students who had participated in the Bersih 5 rally last year.

"Bersih is extremely disappointed to hear that UMS is following in the footsteps of Universiti Malaya by threatening disciplinary action against two of its students, Mukmin Nantang and Nurul Aqilah Muhammad Zainuzi, for their participation in the Bersih 5 rally last year.

"Bersih strongly urges UMS to stop all disciplinary proceedings against Mukmin and Nurul Aqilah - if not to recognise their rights and freedoms guaranteed by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, then to preserve the university's reputation as a proper education institution," it said in a statement today.

The Bersih steering committee said UMS should instead defend the students' rights to participate in the democratic process.

"A respectable educational institution is supposed to encourage discourse and critical thinking, be it for or against the status quo.

"By initiating punishment on its students for exercising their rights as enshrined in the constitution, UMS is clearly not one such institution," it said.

Bersih also urged the authorities to heed the Malaysian Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) call to reform the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971.

Nurul Aqilah and Mukmin Nantang, were threatened with disciplinary actions under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 over their involvement in the Bersih 5 rally last November.

The two were also accused of going against Procedure 3(a)(ii) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Discipline of Students) Rules 1999 which prohibits student participation in activities deemed as a threat to public security and order.

They are expected to face the disciplinary board on Feb 21.