Future of student activism in Malaysia, as seen by its leaders

Adam described the three major events in the country’s brief history where the student movement flourished. He traced it back to the 1974 Baling incident, the Reformasi movement in the 1990s following the sacking of then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the recent “political crisis” as illustrated by the alleged electoral fraud and the Bersih mass rallies for electoral reform.

Ida Lim, The Malay Mail

The Internet-savvy generation is no longer content to only air their frustrations online through Facebook and Twitter.

These days, many student activists participate or even mount street protests to speak up against various issues.

They are not afraid to be at loggerheads with the authorities over demands such as academic freedom, free tertiary education and the call for the abolition of a decades-old law restricting their political activities. The last refers to the Universities and Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA).

But Muhammad Safwan Anang (picture above), the leader of Solidariti Mahasiswa Muda (SMM), a coalition of 11 student groups, said the “vocal” method is one of last resort, saying that they would always start with dialogue and forums first.

“Radical and vocal is important to raise the national awareness… when it becomes news, people will talk about it,” the 24-year-old told The Malay Mail Online recently.

When asked why the preceding generation had been mute on national issues, Safwan blamed it on UUCA 1971 which he said had cowed students into submission.

“This is the result of AUKU, students are afraid to fight,” the Universiti Malaya (UM) fifth-year student said, referring to the UUCA by its Malay acronym.

“Who was responsible for this? This is the responsibility of Tun Dr Mahathir. He’s the one who frightened students, he’s the one who implemented AUKU,” he said, referring to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“This Act successfully controlled the students for a long time but at last we can fight, because our rights are in the Constitution,” he said.

The Terengganu native has become a familiar name to many for his frequent run-ins with the authorities for his role in protests.

Amid a revival of student activism here, the Najib administration had last year amended the UUCA slightly, giving more political freedom to university students.

With the amendments, university students can now join political parties and take part in political activities outside of campus.

With student activities in the country taking on a more political flavour, especially in the run-up to the 13th general elections in May, Safwan said university students would continue to scrutinise the actions of both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

“Student movement must be a pressure group… to keep the government and opposition in check. For me, (we) have to be fair. I disagree if you say we are only pressuring the government,” Safwan said when asked about the future of student activism in Malaysia.

When asked if the next generation would have fewer demonstrations, Safwan said that the student activists would continue such moves, saying that “it has already become the norm for any undergraduate.”

But Safwan’s counterpart Adam Adli Abdul Halim (picture below), 24, who has been regularly arrested and charged in court for his activism, said he hoped that the next generation would not have to be so “vocal” to make their point.

Adam described the three major events in the country’s brief history where the student movement flourished.

He traced it back to the 1974 Baling incident, the Reformasi movement in the 1990s following the sacking of then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the recent “political crisis” as illustrated by the alleged electoral fraud and the Bersih mass rallies for electoral reform.

“If they have bigger crisis than us, I know they will become as vocal as we are today if they have bigger crisis. But if they have no crisis, everything is fine, I wish they don’t have to be vocal like us, just do something,” he said, suggesting that they could move out from urban areas to educate rural folks on the country’s democracy.

Adam also distinguished between being radical and aggressive, saying that activists should come up with constructive ideas instead of always going up in arms against the authorities.

“You can be radical, but you don’t have to be aggressive. Radical doesn’t mean you always have to be aggressive, you always have to go against the police. You don’t always have to scold. That’s not the way to do it.

“Instead of criticising harshly, why don’t you come out with ideas?” the Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI) third-year student said.

“This is the problem with most of the student activists, they don’t stop to take a look back. You have to take a look back, see what you have done, evaluate and observe and plan ahead,” the Penang-born youth said.

Adam noted that there was a tendency to find heroes among the student activists, but said: “It’s supposed to be a collective work, it’s not supposed to be a one-man show”.

“The problem with the student movement, you cannot forever rely on Adam Adli, (K.S) Bawani, Safwan Anang,” he said, also stressing later that university students should not take up activism for the sake of fame.

Even after Election 2013, student activists have continued to be arrested and brought to court for joining in rallies and protests for electoral reforms backed by PR.

In late July, Adam and Safwan were among student activists charged with breaching the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) in relation to PR’s final “Black 505” rally to protest election results.

In the same month, the duo were also among 33 activists charged with illegal assembly and causing a public nuisance for their protest outside Parliament, where they demanded the resignation of the Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.