Higher Education minister Mustapa Mohamed said that this year's campus elections have been the most fair, open and transparent compared to previous years.

He said this in his Parliamentary winding-up speech after Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) asked if the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) was hindering free and fair elections taking place today in 17 local universities.

The opposition leader asked if the Act prevented any election anomalies such as the free hotel stays given to pro-government students in Petaling Jaya as well as the rejection of the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam)'s request to monitor the elections.

Mustapa's response to this was simple. "I would like to say that this year's elections are more open and transparent than the last few years. Despite complaints that campaigns have already started before they were allowed to, they've been given more opportunities to campaign".

"The atmosphere is very different. If there are no rules under UUCA, there would be unruly students," he added.

Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) then quizzed Mustapa on his statement, asking him to account for the seminar conducted in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in which allegations of a Jewish sponsorship were made against the anti-establishment candidates.

To this, Mustapa denied that such seminars were related to student movements.

"Yes, there have been lectures like that but it has no direct link with student movements ... it is only a reminder not to get involved with organisations from outside the country especially those who intend to sabotage our country's peace," he said.

Parents' preference

Fong also raise the issue of the VCD which was being distributed in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), claiming that the anti-establishment students were influenced by among others, especially opposition leaders and social activists. Mustapa however did not answer this.

The minister also reiterated that UUCA will not be abolished.

"We want to affirm that we will not abolish the Act although this is wanted by some students but we've found that more than 90 percent of parents want their children to study and not to be involved in activism."

He said the on-going session to gather feedback on the Act will be completed by the end of the month.

Mustapa also responded to a question by Lim on the possibility of appointing non-bumiputera vice-chancellors.

"We have implemented a new system where the VCs are selected by a selection committee. We have done so in Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Kelantan."