KUALA LUMPUR – Youth activism and participation in politics remain challenging for university students despite the 2018 amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku).
However, the initial legislation that prohibited political activities on university grounds has had lasting damage, especially for students wanting to nurture political consciousness among their peers.
Speaking to The Vibes, several youth leaders shared their experiences with student unions in their respective universities and personal reflection.
Claiming that active political participation is generally low, Universiti Malaya Students’ Union president Ooi Guo Shen said political apathy has somewhat stemmed from an ingrained mindset to steer clear of politics.
The situation is also exacerbated by the lack of understanding of national politics, he said, and Auku amendments do not necessarily protect students from retaliatory actions by university management.
“It’s not about politics. If you are against the administration, there are ways to take disciplinary or even legal action against you, even if you are advocating for good policies,” he alleged.
For example, he claimed that members of the EconBiz Association of UiTM Kota Baru received warning letters after student leaders issued statements in support of recent protests over the rising cost of living.
“It has become the culture for certain student groups to avoid taking the initiative to pursue certain matters, especially if the issue will antagonise (university) authorities,” he said, adding that there are measures in place that undermine student autonomy.
There are many meetings where student representatives are kept in the dark while administrators ignore or even ridicule the union members, forcing us to resort to the media, as action will only be taken when the university may be ‘shamed’.
He added that under Auku, student unions are unable to be financially independent, as it cannot legally own assets or funds to sustain their programmes such as food bank operations and meaningful cash aid for targeted B40 students.
“We have money with the Student Affairs Division, but accessing the funds is more than just difficult,” he said, detailing that some members who are registered with political parties use their connections as a gateway to leverage on resources.
Similarly, International Islamic University Malaysia Student Union officer for communication, advocacy and promotion Zaim Mustaqim said that based on his personal observations, political literacy within the campus is “worrying”, with low voter turnout for campus elections.
He added that several factors could be influencing the lack of student participation in political parties, such as uncertain political climate, intimidation, inefficient approaches to tackle student interests, and insufficient advocacy on youth power.
“The 2018 Auku amendments were supposedly meant to influence more students to participate in political parties, since it highlighted that students are free to be involved with politics outside the campus. However, I think most students are not made aware of this.
We should never blame students for not being actively involved in politics. Parties can establish their own youth movements, but how much do these parties appreciate the voices of its youth members?”
He said while national politics may polarise students, it does not serve as a barrier for the union as it continues to be bound by shared goals, saying, “Differences in ideologies make students unique but our similarities in fighting for student affairs unite us.”
Meanwhile, authorities and student union members from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia appear to be leaning towards a certain political ideology, as an anonymous source from its student union revealed that a significant number of its members are affiliated with UmnoSiswa.
With 41 members in its student union, the source said more than 20 members have political ties with either UmnoSiswa, PKR, PAS, and Muda, with UmnoSiswa bagging the majority of the members.
The source added that while the union does not consider members being part of political parties as an achievement, it also does not prohibit such actions as long as it is clear that they do not represent the organisation.
Commenting on the stand taken by university authorities in supporting student participation in political parties, he said such encouragement is not set in stone as there appear to be influencing factors.
“It (support from the university) depends on what political party you are involved in. If it is Umno, then they (university authorities) are encouraging. They will only support programmes that are related to Umno.” – The Vibes, August 9, 2022
