PETALING JAYA: The Government should repeal provisions in the University and University Colleges Act 1971 that prohibit students from taking part in political activities, said MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu.
The provisions were not consonant with the articles on fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution, he said in a statement yesterday.
He was commenting on Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's recent action in charging four political science students under the Act for allegedly participating in the Hulu Selangor by-election.
“The Act is discriminatory in nature as the same restrictions are not imposed on Malaysian students studying abroad nor do they apply to young adults who are non-students.
“The Act is outdated. Undeniably, there are some students who make aggressive and irrational remarks in the new media or websites.
“But that is not a valid reason to impose blanket prohibition,” he said, adding that he would raise the matter at the MCA presidential council and central committee meetings.
MCA Youth Education Bureau chief Chong Sin Woon asked UKM to drop the charges, saying it was not against the law for undergraduates to take part in political observation activities.
“If it is unlawful for political science students to do so, then we have lost the true meaning of studying political science,” he said in a statement.
Chong added that it was unreasonable to charge them for owning CDs and pamphlets expressing support for any political party.
“The Government should adopt a macro perspective on this matter by instilling a healthy political ideology among the nation's youths for the country to move forward,” he said.
He added that Malaysia needed to adopt a broader political outlook like other countries.
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