Today was the nomination day for campus polls which is scheduled to take place on Oct 2 in all public universities.

Once again it is expected to be a bitter battle between pro-establishment and anti-establishment factions.

Malaysiakini visited Universiti Malaya to observe the nomination process which proceeded without a hitch, drawing minimal crowds and causing little traffic congestion.

Here at the nation's oldest university, at least 84 students are vying for 41 posts in the university's student council.

Twenty students are contesting for the nine general seats while 64 students are contesting for 32 faculty seats.

"It has been quite smooth, very peaceful. There has no been technical problems," said deputy vice-chancellor Dr Azarae Idrus, who is in charge of student affairs at UM.

Since 9am, over 100 students gathered outside the Perdanasiswa auditorium, waving banners and chanting slogans to drum up support for their factions. The situation was monitored by a dozen police cadets.

The nomination process began at 9:30am and the last candidate filed in the nomination at 12:20pm.

Students aligned with the 'anti-establishment' group, the Pro-Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya gathered alongside 'pro-establishment' Aspirasi Universiti Malaya, at a car park adjacent to the auditorium.

Anti-establishment groups, described by the government as fronts for Opposition politics, suffered major defeats in 2004.

The winning faction

The university does not recognise student factions: candidates are not required to list their affiliations in the nomination forms.

However, winning control of the student government allows the factions a platform for their views.

This year, in UM, at least 50 candidates are aligned with Aspirasi, 30 with Mahasiswa while the remaining are independent candidates.

Aspirasi has majority control of Universiti Malaya's student government since 2004 and this year is not likely to be any different.

"It's because the general election draws near. The government wants to be seen that the (public university) students are with them. One gets a feeling this year is quite important to them," commented former student leader Ahmad Sharir Mohd Shah, who is with Mahasiswa.

Ahmad, who majors in genetics and molecular biology and Islamic studies, expressed a view shared by many Mahasiswa supporters.

"Students (aligned to Mahasiswa) face problems with the university authorities. We have problems getting our programmes approved," said the 22-year old.

For example, he said, a Mahasiswa-backed proposal to hold a "Minggu Islam Hadhari", or "Civilisational Islam Week", went missing after it was handed in last year.

"The handling officer just said the documents disappeared. The procedures for a proposal is difficult. They (university authorities) just wanted to give us a hard time," said Ahmad.

'Talents are appreciated'

In their chants, Mahasiswa supporters were calling students to "fight tyranny" and "oppression".

The faction have long alluded that the Ministry of Higher Education was working in cohorts with university authorities to clamp on dissenting groups, including Mahasiswa.

While not agreeing to this, Aspirasi 'candidate campaign manager' Shen Yee Aun ( photo ), 20, felt the difficulty experienced by Mahasiswa in getting co-operation from university authorities was deserved.

"If like an analogy of a father and his two sons. If one of the sons is behaving badly and always demanding things, how can the son complain that his father no longer listens," said Shen, who majors in Malay studies.

The first year student said he joined Aspirasi because his "talents are appreciated" there and that Aspirasi could accomplish more.

"Before we oppose anything, we should go through the proper channels legally. If it fails, then we should use the second and third alternatives," said Shen.

Cheap politics

Describing Mahasiswa as prone to "cheap" politics, Shen felt that national politics should not be "played up" by student groups.

"University life should be able students, not national politics. With Aspirasi, there is strong machinery, strong support from the administration. Most of our manifesto (objectives) are accomplished," he said.

"We are not looking to accomplished for big idealistic things. But things that can be accomplished. We have a simple realistic manifesto, like (proposal for) more canteen chairs, language forums and finding funds to upgrade facilities," he added.

Shen denied allegations that Aspirasi candidates were bribed with money, handphones or stays at luxury hotels.

"We did not take money. If we did, they (Mahasiswa) would have used it for the campaign agenda. I got nothing. I have to pay for everything. Petrol money. Posters," he said.

Watch the two-minute video here.