UIA student charged for involvement in general election

A former university student thought he would be free to join a political party and participate in active politics after finishing his studies.

Apparently not so!

Meor Isfandy Meor Azman of International Islamic University Malaysia (UIA) was charged for breaching the university regulations for his involvement in a political party in the just-concluded general election.

He told Malaysiakini today that he received an official letter from UIA pressing charges for his involvement with Parti Mahasiswa Negara (PMN).

Meor is a coordinator of the yet-to-be-registered PMN and was involved with the party’s activities during the 12th General Election.

He has taken his final exams for a degree in Islamic Studies and Political Science last November. The convocation is scheduled for August this year.

Personal info blocked

Meor claimed in an interview with Malaysiakini that UIA has prevented him from receiving his full transcript and has stopped him from receiving his final semester’s National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan.

He also claimed that all information on him in the university system has been erased or blocked, thus preventing him from paying his final tuition fees and resolving other financial matters.

“I can’t apply for a job because I don’t have the final transcripts. I might be barred from the convocation because I’m unable to settle my final semester’s tuition fees.”

“Am I still considered a student although I no longer attend any classes and has completed my final exams? There are many other ex-students like me who are involved in politics after finishing their studies,” he said.

The very disappointed student also claimed that the UIA legal unit only contacted him through e-mails to inform him of the one-day postponement of the proceedings.

Meor is now scheduled to attend the proceeding with the university next Tuesday.

PMN was set up in January this year to take part in the 12th General Election and has 2,000 multiracial graduates as members.

It had attempted to field a candidate to contest against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his Kepala Batas parliamentary seat in Penang, but was apparently stopped by the police from going to the nomination centre.

An application to register the party was sent to the Federal Territory branch of the Registrar of Societies on Jan 18 this year but has not been approved to date.

The party’s aim is to recruit more students even though political activities by public university students are banned under the Universities and University Colleges Act

‘Still our student’

When contacted, UIA assistant director of legal unit Mohammad bin Mos said according to the university’s policy, Meor is still a UIA student.

“Under the policy, he is still considered a university student until his graduation and received approval from the university to graduate,” he said.

According to Student’s Discipline Rule 2004, conferred by Article 44 and Article 49 of Part VI and Part VII of the Constitution of UIA, a “student” includes any undergraduate student, postgraduate student, part-time student, student under distance learning or off-campus programme, diploma student, matriculation student, and non-graduating student of the University.

He also denied Meor’s claim that the UIA legal unit had only informed him of the postponement of the proceedings through e-mails, saying the legal unit usually informed students through official letters, e-mails and phone calls.

Asked whether Meor will be barred from graduating if found guilty, Mohamad said it was up to UIA disciplinary board to decide.