Campus Election Umany Decries Alleged Threat To Student Autonomy

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The Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) has urgently demanded that campus administrators cease alleged interference in the campus election next month.
Leading a group of members for an on-campus protest today, Umany president Tang Yi Ze said such interference not only threatens the achievements of student autonomy but also signals the resurgence of a “pro-establishment” culture within the campus.
Elaborating on the alleged interference, Tang said, “Recently, Umany learned that the Universiti Malaya Campus Election Committee (UMCEC), which is composed of students, had planned to hold the campus election on Nov 10, with physical voting.”
“However, the UM administration told UMCEC to withdraw the physical voting arrangement, threatening to cut off its funding, deny venue access, and refuse to recognise the election’s legitimacy otherwise,” he said.
ADSAccording to Tang, the alleged threat had resulted in the upcoming election to continue being held online, a practice carried out between 2010 and 2019.
Tang Yi ZeThe UMCEC had held a physical election for a single year in 2020, but the process was again moved online due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained as such to date.
“We emphasise here that the power to decide on online or physical voting should be left solely to the UMCEC and run by students.
“The UM administration must not be allowed to intervene and control, and the UMCEC must remain as an autonomous body to ensure a fair election,” said Umany secretary Lee Yu Dong.
Lee Yu Dong“Let’s think about this, if Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim mandated the Election Commission to conduct online voting, instead of leaving the decision to them, and threatened that the government will cease funding and not recognise the election results (if it doesn’t), then surely our democracy will be in a major regression.
“If citizens cannot accept such blatant interference at the national level, how can we allow this problem to occur on campus?” he argued.
Additionally, Umany treasurer Lee Wen Qua raised the group’s demand for the campus election to be held in the second semester instead of the current semester, to allow new students an opportunity to make better informed choices for their representatives.
Lee Wen QuaThe students also raised placards highlighting their demands, and after about 20 minutes, several representatives from UM’s management were seen observing the protest, but did not directly engage with the group.
UMCEC to remain autonomous
In response to a query from Malaysiakini, UM said UMCEC will continue to operate as an autonomous student body, as it is appointed and managed by the students themselves, in line with the principles of student freedom and democratic processes on campus.
UM deputy vice-chancellor of student affairs, Zamri Radzi, stated that the institution fully understands the frustrations raised by students and respects their right to voice their opinions responsibly.
“Universiti Malaya has always supported efforts to strengthen the culture of democracy on campus.
“We believe that student election is an important platform for nurturing leadership and fostering a sense of civic responsibility among students.
“The university only provides administrative support to ensure that the campus election process runs smoothly, safely, and inclusively for all parties,” he said in a statement.
The higher education institution said it will remain committed to providing a harmonious and democratic learning environment for students.
- Mkini

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