Tuesday, March 31, 2009

May Day Celebration


Venue: Dataran Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
Time: 9 am
Organize by: Jawatankuasa Mei 1,
72B, Taman Sri Langat, Jalan Reko,
43000 kajang, Selangor.
http://1mayworkersday.blogspot.com

COME JOIN IT !!!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Please Give Your Support For A Better UUM!!

What Can You Do to Give Your Support?

1. Fax the sample letter below to UUM authority immediately.
Office of Vice Chancellor:
No. Fax: 04-9283180

2. Call UUM authority to ask about the case and protest towards the UUCA charge on Choo Kok Wei and Medecci Lineil Repong.
Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor (HEPA):
Dato Dr Ahmad Faiz
Tel:012-4102487/ 04-9284070/3224
Office of Vice Chancellor:
Tel: 04-9283001

Please state your protest by sending a letter to the Vice Chancellor of University Utara Malaysia (UUM).

To:
Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Dr. Nordin Kardi, Ph.D
Vice Chancellor
Chancellory Building,
Universiti Utara Malaysia,
06010 Sintok.
Tel: 04-9283001
Fax: 04-9283180

Withdraw Disciplinary Charge on UUM students Immediately

We/I from ______________, oppose the action of UUM authority for charging three students, for practising his rights as student and a Malaysia citizen, to set up an online petition to gather students’ voices on the UUM bus fare issue and giving his opinion on somemone at his blog.

2. We/I strongly feel that the disciplinary charge should be withdrawn because:
  • Choo Kok Wei and Medecci Lineil Repong have done nothing wrong. They were trying to help the students to voice out their unsatisfaction towards the policy and showed it to the authority.
  • Freedom of expression should be preserved in a democratic campus as stated in Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 10 of Federal Constitution in Malaysia.
  • They have shown a role model by concerning in campus policy and tried to gather the opinions of students to help improve the university.
3. Students as one of the stakeholders of a university should be given opportunity to monitor every contract or affairs that are related to the campus and especially to the students. Thus, any changes in the service should involve students’ opinion and thoughts so that the policy will do good to the students. Students should be encouraged to show concern about the university policy and give their opinion freely. The charging of Choo Kok Wei, Medecci Lineil Repong, and Tengku Mohd Hasrul bin Tengku Malek is a retrogression of democracy in UUM.

4. We/I urge that UUM authority:
a) to withdraw disciplinary charge from the three student immediately.
b) to open the contract between UUM and UNIC to the public to show that there is no conflict of interest in this issue.
c) to preserve the freedom of expression of the students as stated in Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 10 of Federal Constitution in Malaysia, and uphold campus democracy..

Yours faithfully,

______________
( )


CC:
Y.B. DATO' SERI MOHAMED KHALED BIN NORDIN
Menteri Pengajian Tinggi,
Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi,
Aras 7, Blok E3, Parcel E,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,
62505 PUTRAJAYA.

UUM Boleh!! Malaysia Boleh!!

For the latest now, we still haven’t get any information for what date of the hearing will be postponed to. It’s already the 6th day since the postpone letter received without any reason given. Moreover, the postpone is just given in the last minute which means a day before the actual hearing on 2 March. Why was it so suddently?? How can it be like that like playing games?? What happened actually?! Is this what we called “professional” management of an international university? Malaysia Boleh!!! Keep postpone and postpone just as they like. UUM Boleh!! Congratulations to UUM!! However, this is another success for us and believe the power when we all gathered together to give pressures on them!! We urge that UUM drop the disciplinary charge on 3 students immediately if there’s no reason for it!! They’ve done nothing wrong!!


Student Power!!

Chronology of the UUM Bus Issue

03/01/09
A bus company in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) named Unic Symbol Business Sdn. Bhd. had released a notice about the upgrading of E-bus System and increment in bus fare starting on 17/01/09. Under the new system, two plans will be introduced:

1. RM90 plan: Unlimited times of bus riding for the whole semester. But matric card can only be used once in 15 minutes to avoid students from sharing a matric card.
2. RM22 plan: Contains 40 points, which means 40 bus rides. This is equal to RM0.55 per ride (one way). In this way, the bus fare has increased 37.5%, from RM0.40 to RM0.55 per ride (one way).

Remaining credits for both plans cannot be transferred to the next semester. The news spread fast and students were unhappy with the changes made.

12/01/09
Choo Kok Wei, Medecci Lineil and friends had set up an online petition specifically for UUM students at www.petitiononline.com/20090112/petition.html to gather students’ support as a protest towards the bus issue. Initially it was planned to be held for five days and then a memorandum will be sent to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Y.Bhg. Tan Sri Dr. Nordin Kardi, Ph.D.


2pm
Within few hours, the number of signature had reached 200.

3pm
Kok Wei received call from Security Department (UK) during lecture, so he didn’t answer it.

5pm
The online petition website had been blocked by UUM but Kok Wei, Meedecci Lineal and friends were able to find ways to access to it later and spread it to the students.

13/01/09
8.00 a.m.

Before the beginning of the lecture, Medicci Lineil gave a brief speech in front of his course mates regarding the issue. The speech touched on the UUM’s action to block access to their online petition and he emphasized that the effort will be continued despite the university’s intimidation actions. It was done in three lectures and he received strong support from his course mates.

8.30am
UK officer Selvaraju a/l Subramanian (Investigation Department) called Kok Wei and wanted Kok Wei to go to UK immediately.

11am
Selvaraju called Kok Wei again during his assignment discussion. Kok Wei wasn’t able to make it and Selvaraju threatened Kok Wei that he would go to Kok Wei’s room.

Evening
Assistant of Vice Chancellor for Law, Government and International Studies called Medicci to give explanation regarding their online petition and his speeches.

6.30pm
UK sent an official letter to Kok Wei, asking him to go to UK office for discussion on the next morning. Immediately, Kok Wei replied UK that he would meet UK on 17/01/09 after meeting with Deputy Vice Chancellor.

14/01/09
8.10am

Selvaraju called Kok Wei, saying that he couldn’t accept Kok Wei’s request to postpone the meeting. He wanted Kok Wei to go to UK immediately. Again, Selvaraju threatened that he will write a letter to Deputy Vice Chancellor so that Kok Wei will be kicked out from hostel.

15/01/09
Kok Wei and Medicci sent appointment letter to Deputy Vice Chancellor to postpone the meeting to 19/01 because 17/01 was public holiday.


17/01/09
12.30pm

Kok Wei went UK to meet Selvaraju as promised in the replied letter. Kok Wei admitted that he set up the online petition. During the interrogation, many irrelevant questions were asked.

5pm
Interrogation went on for 4 and a half hour and finished at 5pm.

18/01/09
Security Department (Investigation Unit) sent a letter to Medicci ordering him to attend an interrogation session with the department on 19 January 2009, 10 a.m. to help investigation. However, he applied to the department to postpone the meeting to another date. Security Department reject his application, instead released sent another letter ordering him to attend interrogating session on 20 January 2009, 10 a.m.


19/01/09
The number of signature for the online petition had reached 500.


11.35pm
Kok Wei and friends met with Deputy Vice Chancellor and handed in a memorandum. Four demands have been raised:

1. Maintain the bus fare at RM0.40 per point or reduce it to a rate lower than RM0.55 per point.
2. The remaining credit can be brought forward to the next semester.
3. University has to be transparency in the contract with UNIC and also other contracts in the future, so that students are able to supervise it.
4. Students are involved in any decision making that are concerning the benefits of the students.

Deputy Vice Chancellor refused to reduce the bus fare to RM0.40 but university will review the rate from time to time. Remaining of the credits can be brought forward to the next semester. Deputy Vice Chancellor also ensured that voices of students will be taken into consideration in the future. But he refused to open the contract with UNIC to the public because it is confidential.

20/01/2009
Medicci attended interrogation session and Selvaraju was in charge for the session. Various questions were asked from his parent’s background to his political ideology. Besides, the questions also intend to make Medicci to turn against Kok Wei. Psychology pressure frequently used. The interrogator keep emphasized that their actions tainted the image of the university and administration. Several statements were signed by him without his consent due to the coercion from the interrogator. The interrogation session went on for seven hours and finished at 9.00 p.m.


19/02/09
At Night

Choo received a letter from the Disciplinary Board of UUM, charging him for “planning a protest in online media and released press statement regarding bus fare issue in UUM”. He was asked to attend disciplinary proceeding on 25/2 (Wednesday), 9.25am at Bilik Mesyuarat Sri Delima, Tingkat 5, Bangunan Canselori.

22/02/09
8.30am

Kok Wei sent a letter asking for postpone, but has been rejected by the secretary of UUM Disciplinary Board without reading at the letter. Kok Wei wasn’t able to meet the Deputy Vice Chancellor because he is not in the office.

In the same day, friends from UUM and other campuses such as USM, UKM, UM, UPM and NEC start doing urgent appeal to get supports from students and fax it to UUM Vice Chancellor to urge to drop the charge on Kok Wei.

In the evening, Kok Wei and friends get helps and support from Bar Council Kedah/Perlis. They will send representative when proceeding on 25/2 (Wednesday).

24/02/09
Kok Wei sent a legal letter to the Deputy Vice Chancellor. He was asked to meet the Deputy Vice Chancellor personally. Deputy Vice Chancellor informed him that his disciplinary proceeding postponed to 2/03/09, 9.25 a.m. at Bilik Mesyuarat Sri Delima, Tingkat 5, and Bangunan Canselori.


25/02/09
Medicci received a letter from the Disciplinary Board of UUM, charging him for “planning a protest in online media and released press statement regarding bus fare issue in UUM”. He was asked to attend disciplinary proceeding on 2/03/2009 (Monday), 2.30 p.m. at Bilik Mesyuarat Sri Delima, Tingkat Lima, and Bangunan Canselori.


Tengku Mohd Hasrul Bin Tengku Malek received a letter from the Disciplinary Board charging him due to his criticism on UUM Deputy Vice Chancellor in his blog.

26/02/09
The responses from students were very good. Our friends have handed out around 230 urgent appeals to UUM Vice Chancellor. 70 urgent appeals were from USM while others were all from UUM students itself.

01/03/09 Another 145 urgent appeals handed to UUM Vice Chancellor. All were from UUM students. Students from other campuses still keep faxing the urgent appeal to UUM Vice Chancellor these days.

3.30pm
Kok Wei and Med received postpone letter from Disciplinary Board of UUM again. There’s was no date and any reason given from the postpone letter this time. It just stated that the hearing date will be informed later.

Evening
Tengku Hasrul also received a same postpone letter when he backed to his room after class.

05/03/09
There was no any latest news yet from Disciplinary Board of UUM to when the postpone will be. Anyway, urgent appeal was still carry on in campuses to get supports from students.

Prolusion of SPFUUM

Our Objectives:

  1. To advocate campus democracy in UUM.
  2. To strive for students' basic rights and welfare in UUM.
  3. To facilitate the harmonious among different races, the importance of multiracial equality in UUM.
  4. To arouse the society's awareness and responsibility among students in UUM.


Firstly, the main purpose of this blog created is to practice the right of freedom of speech since it’s not yet fully practiced in everywhere of Malaysia, of course including UUM (Northern University of Malaysia) even what we speak is right and no harmful at all but still will be pressed by the authority just simply because they WORRY about THIS and THAT or may be more and more THINGS will be exposed to public after that. It's important for us to know that the right is clearly provided on the Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Article 10 of our Malaysian Federal Constitution.


Secondly, the purpose of this blog created is to advocate the importance of campus democracy and arouse the awareness among the students in UUM. Many students in UUM don’t even know what the roles can be played by them except study and study and accept what is already provided by the university but we deserve more and better than that! We should voice out if we have any different opinions, there's no need to be afraid!


Another purpose of this blog been created is to share information and spread any latest news of UUM to let all the people know and follow up certain issues happened in UUM. However, they may press us, they may threat us, they may blame us, they may stop us…yet, we believe what is right is right, what is wrong is wrong! What’s so proud of the university if there’s no democracy in the campus?? We’ll still struggle and moving on our way!! Keep the fire burning, all comrades!!!


Student Power!!