The "pro-student" faction in Universiti Malaya (UM) won the most number of seats during the recently concluded campus elections.
Candidates from the faction, comprising three student groups collectively known as Suara Siswa, won all eight "general seats" and 15 out of 32 "faculty seats".
With 23 out of 40 seats, the Suara Siswa coalition will have the right to appoint, among themselves, office bearers of the student council.
Campus elections in Malaysian public universities are generally a contest between "pro-student" and "pro-establishment" factions.
The "pro-establishment" faction is generally student groups that are more supportive of the status quo, while the "pro-student" faction is generally more critical of university authorities.
There have been claims that the "pro-establishment" faction traditionally received tacit support and training from BN agents.
Currently, the "pro-establishment" faction in UM includes a group known as Penggerak, which won nine faculty seats.
Two other groups - Pewaris and Neo-Siswa - won three faculty seats each.
Pewaris, established in the middle of last year, had described itself as a "pro-government" student group and is believed to have links with Bersatu, while Neo-Siswa is believed to have links with PAS.
Harmoni, another UM student group, has direct links to prominent Muslim group Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia. Harmoni did not win any seat.
According to The Star today, Suara Siswa spokesperson Wong Yan Ke insisted that his faction does not have links with any political party.
He said that Suara Siswa's new student council will keep the UM authorities and the federal government in check.
The UM campus election was conducted entirely by students for the first time in over 50 years.
UM is the last public university to hold campus elections for the 2018/2019 term.
Similar elections held at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - all hotbeds of student activism - saw the "pro-establishment" faction winning. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.