A group of university students submitted a memorandum to the Public Complaints Bureau (BPA) claiming that they are being subjected to 'intimidation' by their respective universities.

The memorandum, submitted yesterday, included written testimonials from four students who claimed that they suffered various forms of harassment because of their political beliefs.

The students were from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Malaya (UM).

Their representative Sheikh Omar Ali, who heads the Students Solidarity of Malaysia (SMM) movement, held a 30-minute meeting with the bureau's assistant director Abu Hassan Omar in his office which is located in the Prime Minister's Department, Putrajaya.

Abu Hassan promised to look into the complaints.

Breach of privacy

In the 17-page memorandum, students Yee Yang Yang (UPM), Mohd Hilman Mohd Nordin (UM) and Khalila Bakar (UM) claimed that their rights to privacy had been violated

Yee claimed that security personnel had breached his privacy by entering his hostel room and confiscating documents, his laptop and other belongings on Sept 15.

He claimed that the university authorities had resorted to such measures because of his involvement with the 'anti-establishment' student faction. UPM, however, has denied this.

Mohd Hilman claimed that on Sept 5, a dorm supervisor and several security personnel raided his hostel room with 'ulterior motives'.

The student, who also belongs to the 'anti-establishment' faction, claimed that the supervisor told him the raid was carried out because he had a friend with him in the room and this was prohibited.

However, Mohd Hilman described this as 'absurd'. He said the Dorm Guidelines allows him to have a friend of the same sex in his room once permission is obtained.

The student's laptop and digital camera were also seized.

Another student aligned to the 'anti-establishment' faction, Khalila, claimed that she was roughed up by senior students and the college president, who were allegedly part of the 'pro-establishment' faction.

The students had accused her of having 'illegal' leaflets in her possession.

Unlawful expulsion

Meanwhile, Khalila and several other UM students also complained of being unjustly expelled from their colleges because of their involvement in political demonstrations.

The other complainants were Mohd Syazni Munir Mohd Ithnin, Muhammad Zulfitri Amin Badrul Munir and Abdul Hadi Suhaimi.

According to them, the college authorities had expelled them without the approval of Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) Student Affairs and Alumni of UM, Azaree Idris.

They also claimed that the DVC told their representatives at a meeting that he was not informed of their expulsion by the college authorities.

Apart from this, the four also claimed that the evidence used by the college authorities to link them to the demonstration were in the form of photographs.

Under the Evidence Act 1950, photographs cannot be included as an incriminating evidence, they added.

The students demanded the college produces a written charge against them as the university's laws stipulate that defendants must first be informed of their misconduct before being penalised.