Campus elections – here’s what to campaign for
Sep 5, 05 2:53pm
Great. Campus elections is back again.
A member of The International Honor Society in Education, Azly holds a Doctorate in International Education Development from Columbia University, New York City, and Masters in four areas: International Affairs, Education, Communication, and Peace Studies. He has taught in Malaysia and the United States in a multitude of settings and in diverse fields such as Politics & International Relations, Education, American Studies, Philosophy/Thinking, and History/Foundations of Civilizations. His passion and activism lies in deconstructing 'hegemony and totalitarianism' and to explore the contradictions between "existentialism and cyberneticism'. Through ILLUMINATIONS he hopes to share his thoughts on how to create a liberal, tolerant, and intelligent society through critical thinking, transcultural dialogues, and peace education. He can be reached at: [EMAIL PROTECTED].
DR AZLY RAHMAN is a transcultural philosopher rooted in the tradition of Critical Theory and Pedagogy. Born in Singapore, raised in Johor Bahru, he was a child of Malaysia's experiment in humanistic education: Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Kuantan.
Student involvement in politics always excites me – it is an important aspect of ‘lived democracy’. It reminds me of my college days as one who was and still is, fascinated by the translation of theory into practice. I had good professors, namely ex-Southeast Asian Peace Corp teachers who are children of the 1960s and who taught us the importance of activism.
As a former student leader, the theories of radical critique of society we read in class were used as a foundation of our protests. In those days, it was against the system of apartheid. Closer to Malaysian politics, I was a strong advocate of the philosophy of multiculturalism and cultural action for freedom. Till now though, I remain politically neutral, committed only to the advancement of transcultural philosophy.
Activism in America is coming back in the form of a systematic, sustained, and concerted programme of anti-war radicalism with the children of the baby boomers from the ‘Blue states’ populating the movement.
In the history of campus student activism, many student leaders became theoreticians and mentors to younger generations. Among them are Abbie Hoffmann, Stanley Aronowitz, Michael Harrington, Herbert Marcuse, Irving Howe, and many others.
Electronic voting system suspect
Any totalitarian state will be fearful of student activism. Structures of domination are imposed, distractions designed, student movements monitored, and issues versus non-issues created. Television, the good olÂ’ tool of mass deception, is deployed to the fullest extent.The use of the electronic voting system (which is used in some campuses) is suspect in a country like Malaysia. One should be aware of possible serious security issues involved; of tampering through the use of malicious computer codes. Whoever owns the means of producing technology will own the means of producing the desired results. Technology, contrary to what many would believe, is never neutral. What goes inside the design and execution of the software depends on the environment it is propagated in.
The cybernetic system/virtual environment is built with human constitutive interests. If computer
technology can be used to subdue nations, destroy national economies through the buying and selling of currencies, control the movement of individuals through GPS (global positioning system) or satellite, reduce human beings to IDs or social security number, why not manipulate campus elections?
Who monitors the validity, reliability, or the functioning of these electronic voting systems?
In addition to the above high-tech form of ‘control’, the use of primitive technologies of command and control such as voter intimidation, scare tactics, race-based enforcement of double standards in accessibility to campaigns, psychological warfare on the mind of the already docile Malaysian university students, and the use of the Universities and University Colleges Act to its fullest extent – also exemplify the functioning of the totalitarian state.
The ideological-university apparatus is used to further the control of civil liberties and to destroy academic freedom.
What must students fight for?
Academic freedom is not a privilege given to universities. It has never been and will never be. It is an _expression_ of the most fundamental right of any university. One cannot compromise this. It is the heart and soul of any institution of learning. It is not the prerogative of the higher education minister to grant or not to grant ‘academic freedom’. It is like saying that the air we breathe must now be managed by the environment minister.
Those guarantees to protect academic freedom must be stated explicitly in the mission statement of all our public universities. This entails the discarding of all documents of intellectual repression.
I therefore see the fight to restore the autonomy of the universities and to help bring back free spirit of inquiry as the most fundamental struggle of
campus/student politics right now.
I am sure other issues are important too – more buses on campus, to refuse to wear or not to wear the tie or the batik, to allow or not to allow Mawi or Siti Nurhaliza on campus, or to reduce the number of students in those university foundation classes. I am sure these issues are close to the experiences of the student.
However, I think the greatest war, or the perang agong, or the mahabharatta, or the mother of all battles, still remains the struggle against the systematic stupefication of the minds of the inhabitants of our campuses.
Here are what Malaysian students need to fight for:
• To stop the harassment of students.
• To discard the requirement of pledging to the Akujanji.
• To create/rejuvenate the culture of intellectualism.
• To improve university classroom teachings so that students’ critical and problem-solving skills can be improved.
• To create a sustainable
culture of ‘higher-order’ thinking skills.
• To give uncompromising autonomy to university lecturers to think, act, and profess freely the belief they hold in their professional fields without them being harassed, intimidated, demanded ‘show-cause letters’ or even fired for asking questions.
• To replace university administrators that are merely interested in pushing his/her own personal political agenda by using the university resources.
• To ask for the resignation of the higher education minister; one who is interested in promoting a culture that is destroying the intellectual foundation of the university and one who refuses to act upon blatant injustices subjected to students and lecturers.
• To call for the abolishing of the repressive Internal Security Act and replace it with an Intellectual Sustainability Act.
Students, your lecturers need help! Malaysian university lecturers are also keenly observing the campus elections for a good reason. It involves the intellectual survival of the lecturers. All of them were made to sign the Surat Akujanji “under economic duress”. Sign the pledge of totalitarianism, or lose your job! - was the clear message from the government.
Students can help raise awareness to free the lecturers from the shackle of intellectual domination so that the latter will in turn be free from the fear of teaching freely. The lecturers have been spending many years of teaching dangerously, under self-censorship and perhaps under surveillance from campus authorities. As homo academicus, they live in what Michel Foucault might say, the panopticon and synopticon of the academic police state.
A teacher in his/her
own lifetime impacts the life of thousands. A good teacher creates leaders, a terrible one can even possibly turn them into criminals.
How do we expect to create a nation of thinkers when we let the university administrators destroy thinking?
“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism,” said the American philosopher-president Thomas Jefferson. We need more and more students who can articulate dissenting views well and be respected all the more. We need to allow students to ask questions that are fundamental to our need to create a truly intelligent society.
We need to create Socrates on campuses and not one-dimensional beings merely interested in amusing and entertaining themselves to death by this or that Malaysian Idol they vote into stardom through instant messaging services that profits cellular phone companies.
My ideal student will be one who will challenge me with radical perspectives so that I may also learn from him/her. My ideal student will
be one who will stand for something and not fall for anything. These, in my almost 20 years of teaching in two continents, have been my cherished individuals – those I value as “the everyday Socrates”.
I may not necessarily agree with everything they believe in, but I will defend to the end, their rights to their own opinion, until Socratic dialogue makes us arrive at different levels of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
My campaign message
This must be exciting times on Malaysian campuses. It will be a good learning experience of translating theory to practice.
Before my wife and I were dismissed from Universiti Utara Malaysia, a prominent colleague of mine designed a system of thinking called ‘Sistem Pemikiran 4L’ with the components Pemikiran Luhur, Lahir, Logik, dan Lateral. It is a very interesting way to
conceptualise how human beings may use religion/ethics, brain science, logical thinking, and creativity to solve problems.
As years progress, little did I suspect then that the thinking system in UUM will evolve counter to the aspirations of true learning. It has evolved into a shrewd form of totalitarianism crafted by a misguided administrator who wished to kill human creativity. The regime was created and sanctioned by the state.
All university students should be taught how to think critically and creatively – to counter all forms of indoctrination and totalitarianism.
My campaign message to students in all universities – fight for your rights to be respected and to allowed to be more intelligent. From the point of view of any ethical/religious system, the mind is a gift. We must therefore, destroy all theories of ignorance; those that are built upon arrogant bodies of knowledge.
Intellectual freedom in our universities is not a gift from the state;
it is the inalienable right of the individual. Students must demand this for themselves – and for their lecturers.
Have a safe, ethical, and educational campus election. My vote is for radical transformation, for our nation to survive intellectually – nothing less!
Campus polls: Varsities turn up the heat again
Aug 30, 05 4:30pm
Campus elections are around the corner and once again universities are turning up the heat on students seen to be aligned with the ‘opposing’ faction.
At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, Malaysian Students Solidarity (SMM) president Ahmad Rifaudin Abdul Wahab demanded a free and fair elections.
“It is happening currently (intimidation). Many of our friends claimed that their rooms are 'ambushed' at two or three in the morning...(the raids) are conducted to scare the students,” he said. Campus elections here is saturated with partisan politics, with the contest being between two camps - ‘pro-establishment’ and the one described as ‘pro-undergraduates’.
Ahamd Rifaudin also claimed that the raids have occurred in Universiti Malaya as well.
He also claimed that a UKM official had allegedly kicked a female undergraduate as
a warning against aggressive campaigning.
He revealed that a Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) undergraduate has lodged a police report over this and is even mulling legal action.
Electronic voting system
In its three-page memorandum, SMM called for an immediate stop to these scare tactics. It also wanted the electronic voting system and labeling of serial numbers in ballot papers to be abolished to ensure privacy and transparency.
According to Rifaudin, the electronic voting system - currently used in the Multimedia University, Kolej Universiti Sains and Teknologi Malaysia (Kustem) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) - is ‘highly suspicious’.
He said Universiti Islam Antarabangsa could be using this system in the coming elections as well.
“In UPM a candidate who won in the previous election only garnered one vote the following year (under the electronic system).
“This is impossible, he should get at least three votes from the proposer, seconder and candidate himself,” he added.
Rifaudin claimed that the electronic voting system could be manipulated by those who
favoured students sponsored by the student affairs department. He also expected a similar situation this time around.
Other demands in the memorandum included allowing students to form coalitions and publicise manifestos openly, prolonging the campaign period to five consecutive working days, allowing the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), National Human Rights Society (Hakam) to monitor the polls.
“If these claims are not met and the same problems recur, we want the deputy vice-chancellors of student affairs (in all universities) to step down,” it stated.
Apart from this, SMM called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to ensure a free and fair campus elections. It also asked
the Higher Education Ministry not to support any faction.
The memorandum was endorsed by 26 non-governmental organisations.
The campus elections will be held simultaneously in late September or early October.
Stranglehold over undergrads
Aug 4, 05 3:17pm
special report The heads of two student bodies in Universiti Malaya (UM) typify the intake since the early 1970s – students who are fearful of initiating change and mindful of keeping their heads low. Both leaders refused to be identified by name in this report.
This is the combined impact of the University and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) and the Akujanji pledge of loyalty, which have persuaded students that it is not worth their while to get into “trouble” for expressing themselves freely and openly.
Like fellow Malaysians who are corralled by a raft of other repressive laws, university students too heed the dictates of the UUCA which prevent their participation – without consent – in organised activities or membership in social and
political groups.
The student leader said this is exacerbated by the fact that undergraduates today are less interested in current issues than in entertainment and leisure activities.
“When we were told to sign the Akujanji (in May 2002), some initially had doubts about the purpose. But they were afraid to say anything openly and signed the document regardless,” he said.
"Students 10 years ago were bolder and would have held demonstrations – but not today.”
A UM post-graduate student, who declined to be identified, expressed concern that most of her course-mates had signed the oath unquestioningly.
“They said their main focus is on their studies and they did not see the point of saying ‘No’ to signing the Akujanji,” the student said, agreeing that there is little interest in critical issues among the student body.
Targeting a degree
The other student leader noted: "Akujanji has certainly had a negative psychological impact on the students. They are prevented from doing things that are deemed contradictory to oath of loyalty," he said.
"There is a need to instil awareness among campus residents of basic rights guaranteed by the human rights charter and the Federal Constitution.”
In this respect, he said the university is “the best place” to give meaning to democracy and human rights.
“As future leaders, undergraduates should actively participate in national and international issues by bringing up ideas and views. They should also be involved in providing solutions for society’s problems,” he said.
Instead, they are complacent and focus their attention on the sole target of obtaining a degree.
Asked to comment on studentsÂ’ freedom to conduct dialogues, the leader said the campus authorities allow discussion of any topic except politics.
They are also not allowed to invite opposition politicians or representatives of non-governmental groups that have political leanings to events on campus.
“This has held back the students’ ability to think critically,” he said.
At the same time, the university management monitors programmes organised by student bodies, which has discouraged dialogues.
Such intervention extends to the annual campus elections, which are often considered a litmus test of support among the youth for the government – candidates usually fall into either the pro- or anti-establishment faction.
Last September, the anti-establishment UM Undergraduates Coalition boycotted the UM elections due to “frustration over interference by the management”, according to one leader.
"They felt there was no point in contestingÂ…they probably realised they could not make much difference to the students," he said.
As a result, the ‘pro-government’ UM Undergraduates Council swept the posts uncontested to take ‘power’ for the first time in eight years.
Hurdles to leap
One reason why student leaders are hampered in organising activities is because the management throws up obstacles, according to one leader.
He said approval is withheld for certain activities or organisers are told to change the content of the programmes scheduled, on grounds that the objectives are “unsuitable” for students.
While the campus authorities often cite budget constraints as their reason, they have never told students exactly how much is available for student development programmes.
"If the management doesnÂ’t like a student, it would take a long time for him or her to get approval (of programmes)," claimed the leader.
Meanwhile, a lecturer revealed the effect of the UUCA and the Statutory Bodies Discipline and Surcharge Act 2000 - the Act from which Akujanji is derived from - on university staff and academic staff.
"The impact of UUCA is not as bad for academic staff as it is for students," he said, noting that the law only bars academics from making off-campus comments about the university management.
However, he said the Statutory Bodies Discipline and Surcharge Act 2000 - which is applicable to statutory bodies, including universities – should be abolished in order to encourage intellectual discourse.
The Act prohibits academic staff from making any comment outside or within the university premises – positive or otherwise – about government policies, among others, without the ministerial’s consent.
"This has added another law that hangs over our heads, strengthening the culture of fear,” he said, pointing out that it cultivates lecturers who are not willing to risk losing their career.
If found guilty, the lecturer could be fined, face a disciplinary hearing or have his or her services terminated.
Both pieces of legislation have to be thrown out, he added.
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