Another Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) student, Tan Kar Hing, has been slapped with seven disciplinary charges by the campus authority in relation to his alleged role in the recent controversial campus polls.

Tan, 23, a third-year business administration student, is the sixth UPM student to face disciplinary action. The seven charges against him are exactly the same as those facing his fellow student Simon Ooi, who was first to be charged with the record number of alleged offences.

Tan ( extreme left in photo ) was informed of the charges via a letter sent to his parents home in Rawang yesterday. The letter signed by deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs) Prof Dr Azali Mohamed and accused him of breaching the university's disciplinary rules under the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).

These were:

  • Being involved in a gathering (to call for a fair polls) in front of the Parliament building on Sept 21.
  • Instigating UPM students to boycott the campus election.

  • Being involved in a gathering at a coffee shop outside campus during nomination day on Sept 26.

  • Issuing media statements in connection with the campus polls on polling day.

  • Collecting money from students between Sept 26 to 29 for a campaign to boycott the elections.

  • Being involved in a procession from the National Mosque to hand over a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

  • Being present at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court to express support for the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the UUCA on April 22 .

    • Nationwide witch-hunt

    Tan, together with four other students, will attend a hearing on campus tomorrow. The hearing for the remaining student facing similar charges has been scheduled for Nov 11.

    In what has been described as a witch-hunt on campuses nationwide, varsity authorities have been hauling up students who had protested against the campus polls which had been marred by boycotts and complaints of irregularities

    If found guilty, the students could face either expulsion, suspension, prohibition from using certain university facilities or be fined a maximum of RM200 (for each charge). The panel could also decide to let them off with just a warning.

    Meanwhile, the parents of two of the UPM students facing charges sent letters to Azali yesterday, demanding a fair and transparent hearing for their children.

    Simon Ooi and Lim Sook Swan parents also urged the campus authority to drop the charges against the two. "If the authority persists in holding the hearing, we call on the campus to ensure that it is carried out in a fair and transparent manner," said the letters.

    They parents also stated in their letters that '... if the rights of my child are not protected in the proceeding, we will take further appropriate action'.

    The parents also requested that a lawyer be allowed the represent the students and that this counsel be accompanied by a parents' representative .

    Slowly knocked-out

    Coordinator for human rights organisation Suaram, Chang Lih Kang, told malaysiakini that representatives from political parties and NGOs would attend tomorrow's hearing to show their support for the students.

    It was learnt that the students have already met with Bar Council on the matter with regards to legal aid for their cases.

    In the controversial campus elections in September, all 17 public universities nationwide for the first time in history were won by 'pro-establishment' students camps ( Aspirasi Kerajaan camp) which were backed by campus authorities. There were student boycotts at five major universities.

    Over the years, government and campus authorities have overtly backed pro-establishment student factions in a bid to stamp out anti-government forces in campuses nationwide.

    The pro-government groups, with the help from the authorities, have progressively knocked out anti-establishment students from the student representatives councils.