Introducing a course on human rights can help prevent incidents similar to those that occurred in UPM.

The scuffles in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) could have been avoided if students were taught human rights, said the Malaysian Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today.

According to commissioner N Siva Subramaniam, the commission relayed this proposal to Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed during a recent meeting.

"Every university student must have a basic understanding about human rights and the consequences in transgressing them," he told a press conference at the Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"Although human rights is a complex and wide topic, I believe with preparations and a better structure module, it can be effectively disseminated to the students," he added.

Siva said Suhakam will hold discussions with public universities next month regarding this issue.

The commissioner was responding to the July 11 and 17 frays in UPM which came to light after a video recording surfaced.

In the incidents, a large number of students from the pro-establishment camp - which is backed by the campus authorities - pushed and shoved students from their rival 'independent' camp.

On both occasions, the 'independent camp' students were in the midst of setting up a 'help counter' at the campus canteen to assist newly-enrolled students.

However, Suhakam said it has yet to receive any complaints on the incidents.

Campus polls

Meanwhile, Siva also revealed that the Higher Education Ministry rejected the request from human rights groups to monitor the upcoming campus elections.

"The minister said it will not be possible for us to monitor the polls for the time being," he said, adding that no reasons were given.

Campus elections have been fraught with allegations of tampering, intimidation and prejudicial election rules.

In another development, Suhakam's complaints and inquiries working group head Choo Siew Koh said the commission plans to carry out preliminary probes into several cases of deaths in custody.

These include the deaths of two Burmese refugees, who died under detention in Melaka and Selangor respectively. Two other cases involve custodial deaths in Kedah.

Suhakam's move to investigate all deaths in police custody is in line with the royal police commission's recommendations, noted another commissioner Michael Yeoh who was also present at the press conference.

Yeoh was a member of the now-dissolved royal commission.

However, Suhakam under its enabling legislation cannot inquire into such cases if they are pending in court.

In February, Suhakam was forced to call off a public inquiry into the death of Ravindran Alagiry, 41, after the police asked the court to hold an inquest.

"As far as I know, the case was brought to court for mention and it was postponed immediately on that day and so far has been postponed twice, it has not been heard in court yet," said Choo.

He said if Suhakam was allowed to hold the inquiry, it will be completed in a week's time.