Mesyuarat rahsia kementerian mengenai pilihanraya kampus?
Sep 12, 05 2:31pm
Satu siri menyuarat rahsia diadakan oleh Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi dan dihadiri pegawai kementerian, wakil Umno dan pelajar pro-kerajaan, yang dipercayai untuk merangka strategi bagi membantu memastikan kejayaan calon-calon mereka dalam pilihanraya kampus akan datang.
Satu dokumen yang diperolehi malaysiakini, menunjukkan pihak kementerian menjemput timbalan naib canselor hal-ehawal pelajar di kesemua 17 universiti awam dan swasta untuk menghadiri salah satu mesyuarat tersebut, bertempat di ibu pejabat Umno pada 27 Julai.
Surat yang ditandatangani oleh
ketua bahagian kebajikan kementerian berkenaan, Prof Madya Dr Muhammad Hussin, menyatakan bahawa mesyuarat tersebut yang dipanggil mesyuarat penyelarasan aktiviti pelajar universiti juga dihadiri pemimpin majlis pelajar universiti terbabit.
Dokumen yang dikembarkan bersama surat itu, mengandungi senarai aktiviti dan taklimat yang dirancang oleh pihak kementerian mulai bulan Ogos sehingga September ini, untuk pihak berkuasa kampus serta calon-calon pro-kerajaan (atau aspirasi kerajaan) bagi menghadapi pemilihan kampus kali ini, yang dijangka bulan depan.
Tajuk-tajuk taklimat tersebut menyentuh strategi untuk mempengaruhi calon-calon lawan supaya menarik dari daripada bertanding, taktik cara berkesan membuat bantahan, menyediakan rancangan sokongan, mengenalpasti strategi untuk memancing undi dan petua berkempen.
Adalah difahamkan bahawa wakil Pemuda dan Puteri Umno turut menghadiri mesyuarat-mesyuarat mingguan tersebut sejak Julai lalu.
Senarai
penerima surat tersebut, termasuklah Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh dan Setiausaha Parlimennya, Dr Adham Baba.
Pemimpin terpilih
Apa yang berlaku ini dianggap selaras dengan percubaan-percubaan yang dibuat pada tahun-tahun sebelumnya dalam usaha untuk memastikan semua kampus dikuasai kumpulan aspirasi kerajaan. Pada masa ini tiga kampus dikuasai kumpulan anti-kerajaan (atau mahasiswa idealis).
Bagi Universiti Islam Antarangbangsa Malaysia (UIA) dan Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), pihak kementerian telah menjemput wakil dari kelab aspirasi kerajaan, dan bukannya pemimpin majlis pelajar yang tidak sehaluan dengan kerajaan.
(Di UIA, kebanyakan pelajar dilihat sebagai bersimpati kepada parti pembangkang, PAS).
Ketika dihubungi, Muhammad mengesahkan yang mesyuarat tersebut memang diadakan. Ianya seperti mesyuarat kabinet. Kita membincangkan aktiviti pelajar, bagaimana mengendalikan pilihanraya kampus, tetapi kita tidak bincangkan bagaimana hendak berkempen untuk (calon) aspirasi kerajaan, katanya.
Beliau menafikan yang mesyuarat tersebut diadakan kerana pilihanraya kampus akan diadakan bulan depan, kerana menurutnya, ia sudah lama diamalkan.
Bagaimanapun, ini bercanggah dengan kandungan surat tersebut, yang menyatakan bahawa mesyuarat pada 27 Julai itu adalah yang kedua diadakan.
Ditanya mengapa mesyuarat tersebut diadakan di ibu pejabat Umno di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC), beliau menjawab: Mengapa tidak? Kita mampu (mengadakannya) di Hotel Pan Pasifk, jadi kami menyewa (bilik) di pejabat Umno kerana lebih murah.
Tetapi kami juga pernah mengadakan mesyuarat di tempat-tempat seperti Hotel Vistana dan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Muhammad
mendakwa, pemimpin pelajar yang pro-kerajaan dijemput menghadiri mesyuarat tersebut kerana pihak kementerian meminta kerjasama mereka untuk melancarkan aktiviti berkaitan Rukun Negara.
Pemimpin majlis pelajar UIA dan UPSI bukan dari kumpulan aspirasi, sebab itulah kami tidak menjemput mereka. (Sebaliknya) kami menjemput pemimpin kelab pelajar aspirasi, kata beliau ketika ditanya mengenainya.
Komen bercanggah
Mengenai kehadiran wakil Pemuda dan Puteri Umno dalam mesyuarat tersebut, Muhammad berkata: Kita tidak menjemput mereka. Tetapi mereka hadir, takkanlah kami hendak meminta mereka keluar, kan?.
Bagaimanapun, ia bercanggah dengan komen ketua biro pendidikan Puteri Umno, Nolee Ashilin Mohamed Radzi, yang mengesahkan menghadiri mesyuarat tersebut atas jemputan pihak kementerian.
Nolee yang pada mulanya telah menafikan hadir di mesyuarat tersebut mengesahkan kehadirannya hanya selepas ditanya berulangkali tetapi menegaskan yang ia tiada kena mengena dengan pilihanraya kampus.
Saya dijemput selaku biro pendidikan Puteri Umno. Kami bekerjasama dengan pihak kementerian untuk menyediakan latihan pembinaan kerjaya untuk sisawazah wanita, termasuk kemahiran temuduga...kami menurunkan pengalaman profesional kami, katanya.
Beliau juga menolak dakwaan bahawa Puteri Umno terbabit dalam melatih calon-calon pro-kerajaan, sambil menegaskan yang pergerakan tersebut tidak pernah campurtangan dalam pilihanraya kampus.
Manakala ketua biro pendidikan Pemuda Umno, Ahmad Ikmal Ismail, yang dikatakan turut menghadiri mesyuarat tersebut, tidak dapat dihubungi untuk mendapatkan ulasan daripadanya.
Timbalan Naib Canselor Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Prof Dr Alias Mohd Noor, yang merupakan antara yang
dijemput menghadiri mesyuarat tersebut, ketika dihubungi, enggan mengulas mengenainya.
Saya tidak boleh membuat sebarang kenyataan kepada media...kami kena marah dengan menteri. Ada arahan supaya jangan bercakap dan memang terdapat pekeliling mengenainya, katanya tapi enggan mengulas lanjut.
Pada tahun 1998, berikutan pemecatan bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan kelahiran gerakan reformasi, kumpulan anti-kerajaan berjaya menguasai beberapa buah universiti.
Bagaimanapun, kumpulan pro-kerajaan berjaya menguasainya semula beberapa tahun lalu di mana terdapat berlaku salahlaku, politik wang dan penggunaan taktik ugutan sewaktu pilihanraya kampus.
Pilihanraya kampus menjadi tumpuan ramai kerana keputusannya akan mencerminkan kecendurungan sokongan para pelajar sama ada kepada PAS atau Umno.
Ministrys hush-hush meetings linked to campus polls?
Sep 12, 05 12:30pm
Translation A series of secret meetings co-ordinated by the higher education ministry has brought together top university officials, Umno representatives and pro-establishment student leaders, apparently to strategise for the government camps success ahead of the upcoming annual campus elections. A document in malaysiakinis possession shows that the ministry had invited the deputy vice-chancellors overseeing students affairs at all 17 public universities or
university colleges to gather at the Umno headquarters for one of the meetings on July 27.
A letter signed by the ministrys welfare division head Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Hussin stated that the meeting - dubbed the varsity student activities co-ordinating meeting - also required the presence of the respective heads of the students council.
Documents attached listed a series of activities and briefings planned by the ministry from August to September for the campus authorities as well as pro-establishment (or government aspiration) candidates in connection with the elections, tipped to be concluded by next month.
Topics for the briefings were to cover strategies on influencing rival candidates to withdraw from the contest; tactics on effectively registering protests; preparation of back-up plans; identifying strategic areas to fish for votes; and tips on campaigning.
It is learnt that representatives of Umno Youth and Puteri Umno had attended the
meetings, held weekly since July.
Copies of the letter were sent to Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh and the ministrys parliamentary secretary Dr Adham Baba, according to the list of recipients indicated.
Selected leaders
The move appears consistent with past attempts to ensure that all campuses are held by the pro-government faction - at present, three remain dominated by the anti-establishment (or student idealists) camp.
In the case of Universiti Islam Antarangbangsa Malaysia (UIA) and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), the ministry asked for the presence of the aspiration club heads, and not the student council leaders who are aligned with the rival faction.
(In UIA, most of the students are seen to be sympathetic to opposition Islamic party PAS.) When contacted, Muhammad confirmed that the meetings had taken place.
Its like the cabinet meetings. We discuss student activities, we discuss how to run the campus elections, but we did not discuss how to campaign for the aspiration students, he said.
He denied that the sessions had been initiated in tandem with the campus elections, saying this has been the practice since a long time ago.
However, this contradicted the contents of his letter, which stated that the July 27 meeting was the second such session.
Asked why the meetings were held at the Umno headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, he replied: Why not? We cant afford the Pan Pacific Hotel, so we rent the Umno headquarters which is cheaper.
But we have also held meetings at places such as Vistana Hotel and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Muhammad claimed that the pro-establishment student leaders were asked to
attend because the ministry requires their co-operation for the launch of activities connected to the Rukunegara.
The UIA and UPSI student council heads are not with the aspiration camp, thats why we did not invite them. (Instead), we invited the aspiration club student leaders, he said in response to a question on why these leaders had been sidelined.
Comment contradicted
On the presence of Umno Youth and Puteri Umno representatives, he said: We didnt invite them. But if they were present, it was impossible for us to ask them to leave, right?
This, however, contradicted the comments of Puteri Umno education bureau chief Nolee Ashilin Mohamed Radzi, who confirmed that she had attended one of the meetings at the ministrys invitation.
Nolee, who initially denied she had attended the meeting, confirmed her presence only after being repeatedly pressed - but then insisted that this has no
connection with the campus polls.
I was invited in my capacity as head of the Puteri Umno education bureau. Were working with the ministry to provide career-building training for female undergraduates, including interviewing skills...we impart our professional experience, she said. She rejected claims that Puteri Umno has been instrumental in training pro-establishment candidates, saying that the wing does not interfere in the campus elections.
Umno Youth education bureau head Ahmad Ikmal Ismail, who was said to have attended the meetings, could not be reached for comment.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Alias Mohd Noor, who was among those invited to the meetings, refused to comment when contacted.
I cannot give any statement to the media...the minister has scolded
us. There is a gag order and there is a circular for this (ruling), he said, refusing to elaborate.
In 1998, following the sacking of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim and the birth of the reformasi movement, the anti-establishment faction swept into power in several universities.
However, the pro-establishment faction regained control over the past two years amidst allegations of irregularities, money politics and intimidation tactics.
Campus polls are keenly observed by politicians - especially between Umno and PAS - as these allow them to gauge student support for their parties.
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