Comments on: Malaysia – UUCA: Gov’t stands firm on anti-politics stance

By: Malaysian Youth Index - Absolute Rubbish « EducateDeviate

Malaysian Youth Index - Absolute Rubbish « EducateDeviate — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:08:38 +0000

[...] activity is low – well, firstly, it’s not necessarily easy to do such work in Malaysia when it’s illegal for university students to join outside societies or political parties (the proposed amendments apparently make it easier, but there’s still a prohibition against [...]

By: Donaldson Tan

Donaldson Tan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:25:59 +0000

On the other hand, the classical argument proposed by Malaysian and Singaporean arguments are that you need such authoritarianism to put down dissent from existing powerholders to necessary economic reforms in the economic restructuring of society. – #3

Correction: The argument proposed by the Malaysian and Singaporean ruling parties is that one needs authoritarianism to put down dissent to necessitate economic reforms for the good of the economy. If only that is true, South Korea and Hong Kong would not be successful examples whereby non-authoritarianism still lead to a successful economy.

By: Read Malaysian history

Read Malaysian history — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:58:48 +0000

Put it in historical perspective. The UUCA was passed in 1971, coincidental with the formal articulation of the NEP, and new amendments to the ISA. In 1974, there was a spate of student-supported protests around Malaysia supporting impoverished farmers against government relocation projects. Thus, in December1974, the police raided University Malaya hostels and detailed under ISA student leaders and university lecturers, including Anwar Ibrahim. This in turn sparked off another round of protests on campus, which in turn lead to another police raid and arrests of more students. The government produced a white paper claiming that the Communist party of Malaysia was to blame, even though it is known that the movement was also led by Malay activists.

Thus, the UUCA was amended to what it is today: it proscribes political involvement of students and lecturers and limits societies, student meetings and the autonomy of student union. The UUCA is not about protecting students, it’s about protecting the current regime, which might be good or bad depending how you argue it.

One argument goes, “[the government's] real fear was of a Malay-led multi-racial, class-aligned movement which had begun to challenge the inability of the Malay bourgeoisie to solve a range of serious social and economic problems in teh country.”
cit. Anne Munro-Kua (1993) Authoritarian Populism in ability of Malaysia pp 82-83

You tell me.

By: Servant Leadership - An Uncommon Exceptional Trait

Servant Leadership - An Uncommon Exceptional Trait — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:41:07 +0000

Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. -Justice Learned Hand.

By: Donaldson Tan

Donaldson Tan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:18:24 +0000

Students, just like any other citizens, are affected by decisions made at the parliament. Students today are future workers. Does not any economic, labour or monetary policies made by the Malaysian parliament today will affect the students?

By denying student unions the right to participate in politics, the Malaysian Parliament is sending out the message that politics should be left to an exclusive pool of players.

Even then, student unions can still be political while remaining non-partisan. But rejecting the claim to be partisan only reflects the short-sightedness of the Malaysian government.