A Universiti Sains Malaysia student leader was hauled up again by campus authorities, this time for her alleged involvement in an 'illegal assembly' last November to protest against the proposed Vision School.

In an Aug 23 letter, USM Students Affairs Department asked Lee Yen Ting, chairperson of the Tionghua Language Society, to attend an inquiry into the matter next Monday.

However, Lee, a third-year management student, is scheduled to sit for her final examinations on that day and has written to the authorities calling for a postponement to the inquiry.

Lee told malaysiakini that the letter from the university's assistant registrar Zaitun Adnan accused her of being involved in an 'illegal assembly' held opposite the USM Sungai Dua gate late last year, thus violating the campus' disciplinary regulations.

The assembly, which was attended by about 50 students, was to protest the government's Vision School programme to bring Chinese, Tamil and national-type schools under one roof.

The concept has been criticised by a section of the Chinese community who fear the erosion of the independence and identity of Chinese schools.

Active role

In addition, Lee was accused of being involved in a gathering in front of the Students Affairs Department (HEP) office during another inquiry into four of her colleagues in August this year.

"As the chairperson (of Tionghua Language Society), you have not taken the initiative to advise your colleagues to dismiss the gathering. In fact, you played an active and supporting role in the gathering," read the letter.

Lee was also accused for failing to meet with the campus' security chief as "agreed" on June 7.

According to Lee, security department chief Noor Rizan telephoned her in February and told her to meet with the police regarding her involvement in the Vision School protest.

However, since no formal letter was sent to her regarding the meeting, Lee decided not to attend the meeting.

Later in June, she received a letter from Noor Rizan through an unknown person, asking for an appointment with her.

"Issues involving students should be handled by the Student Affairs Department, not the Security Department. Since the letter was not issued by the proper authority, I ignored it," said Lee, adding that she made her decision after consulting her friends.

Punishment meted out

Lee and her colleagues in the Tionghua Language Society have earlier been punished by university authorities for a number of "offences".

In early July, the university fined Lee and society's secretary Choo Chon Kai RM200 for speaking to the media to complain about unreasonable treatment by the university.

Last Thursday, Choo was also found guilty of selling anti-Internal Security Act badges on campus grounds. He will know his fate in the university after his final-year examinations later this month.

In early August, the university authorities fined four students - Lim Khoon Ehua, Ong Wee Ling, Hoo Kam Fong and Lim Gim Shin - RM150 each for taking part in a debate in Singapore in May without prior permission from the university.

Meanwhile, another USM student, Loke Chee Hoe, was found guilty of taking part in the Vision School gathering on Tuesday.

The five-member inquiry, which consisted of academic staff and Student Affairs deputy vice-chancellor Assoc Prof Jamaludin Mohaiadin, found Loke guilty after deliberating on the matter for two hours.

Like Choo, Loke will also be notified of his punishment after his final exams at the end of the month.