Students tell Najib to brace for votes loss

Several student leaders today urged prime minister Najib Razak to stop rhetoric about 'transformation' in his administration, saying the UMNO president risked losing the next general election through students' votes against BN.

At a press conference today, president of the students pressure group Malaysian Undergraduates Solidarity (SMM) Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razak said students were already fed up with populist promises by Najib which he said were nothing more than mockery.

“We are telling it straight to the prime minister, if there’s no drastic transformation, we will move with our votes in the elections or other democractic means,” he said.

Syukri cited the arrest of 10 people in Sabah recently under the Internal Security Act, ostensibly for being involved in terrorism.

He also pointed out the government's decision to appeal against the High Court decision recently ruling Section 15 of the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA), which the government pledged to reform, as unconstitutional.

Last Saturday, students protested in the capital calling for an end to infringement of students' democratic rights and repeal of the UUCA, which bans students' membership in political parties. At the UMNO headquarters in Jalan Tun Razak, the protesters briefly brought down a flag bearing Najib's portrait in a symbolic gesture to air their frustration. The act invited a flurry of reactions from UMNO leaders.

“We had only taken down Najib’s flag. But if there is no drastic improvement, it is not impossible that the youth will bring down this regime for a better government,” he warned, adding that promises by the current administration had proven to be mere gimmicks.

Praise

The students' protest also drew praise from Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, who lauded their courage to speak up and free themselves from UMNO’s captive 'UUCA mindset'.

“The students uprising may be a big factor which cannot be ignored,” he said.

Echoing Lim, PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan described students as 'agents of change' and called on the authorities not to insult their ability to think intellectually.

"They are not some kids who you could taunt and kick around," said Nasrudin in a statement.

-Harakahdaily