PETALING JAYA: Twelve student and youth bodies have come together to call on Universiti Malaya (UM) to lift the suspension of its Chinese Language Society (UMCLS) for one semester.
They said the move was reflective of how student autonomy was being “trampled on”.
In a statement today, they said although they agreed that UMCLS had committed some administrative oversights, the root of the problem was UM’s Student Affairs Department (HEP).
It said HEP was supposed to facilitate students’ activities but chose to suspend the society because of some administrative and technical errors.
“Their action completely violates the spirit of our constitution as the foundation as well as the highest standard of law.
“It tramples on students’ freedom of and right to association,” it said.
“Students who organised activities have certainly suffered a lot from HEP’s hegemony,” the statement claimed.
It said many student bodies had satisfied HEP’s numerous “unreasonable instructions” to sustain themselves and continue organising activities.
The statement was endorsed by University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany), Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement (Dema), Student Progressive Front USM (SPFUSM), Student Progressive Front UUM (SPFUUM), Kesatuan Mahasiswa, Democrat UKM, Student Progressive Front New Era College, Angkatan Mahasiswa, Demokrat UM, Suara Mahasiswa, USM Wanderers and the Unity Spirit Towards Spring.
UMCLS president Wong Yan Ke had told a press conference on Nov 30 that the society had received a show-cause letter from HEP on Oct 30 over its failure to translate its notices into Malay or English and conducting unauthorised activities.
The HEP had suspended the society’s 2017/18 annual general meeting as well as its activities planned for the first semester of 2017/18.
According to UMCLS, its executive committee had submitted an appeal to the university but this was not accepted. -FMT
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