As more student bodies plan to hit the streets in Malaysia to protest the escalating cost of living, Prof Datuk Dr Omar Shawkataly is reminded of the student movement in the 70s.
The voices of students were loud during that era, where songs like ‘War’ by Edwin Starr, ‘Fight the Power’ by The Isley Brothers, and ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ by Bob Marley, were hits.
The year 1974 saw the height of student activism in the country. On April 22, 1974, some 6,000 Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM) students marched from their campus in Shah Alam, Selangor, to the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur. The students were angry as the government then did not recognise ITM certificates.
Some of the students even hijacked a train to go to the city centre.
ITM is now known as Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
In December of the same year, thousands of university students gathered in Baling, in the northern state of Kedah, to show solidarity with rubber tappers who were struggling to earn a living following the collapse of global rubber prices.
The Baling incident resulted in the tightening of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971.
Last Saturday, two student bodies – from the International Islamic University Malaysia, and Universiti Malaya – said they would take to the streets if the government failed to address the rising cost of living. As of yesterday, that number has grown to 20.
UiTM’s student council, in a statement on Sunday, however, said a round-table meeting would be more beneficial than taking to the streets.
“Student voices became very quiet for about three decades or so,” said Omar, a former professor with Universiti Sains Malaysia.
“This is mainly because the student unions and their actions were pretty much controlled by the universities. The UUCA controlled the students, and they didn’t have much freedom.”
“When Pakatan Harapan won the 2018 general election, the UUCA was amended, but it remains unclear how far the amendments have facilitated in giving the students back their voices.”
On Dec 10, 2018, the Dewan Rakyat voted to pass amendments to the UUCA, the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act, 1996, and the Educational Institutions (Discipline) Act, 1976.
This includes removing a subsection in the UUCA that previously banned students from taking part in political party activities within the universities, or colleges’ grounds.
Omar, who was actively involved in the student movement while doing his degree in the United Kingdom, and his PhD in Australia, said students were always concerned about the struggles of the ordinary people and the community.
“When I was studying, the biggest issue then was the increase in varsity fees, and we were very vocal about it.
“Sadly, for a long time, students were not involved directly in community issues. They should be closer to them, and speak about the challenges faced by the community.
“The real issue today is the escalating cost of living. Students can raise awareness of such things. We seem to focus more on trivial issues like the Bon Odori festival and the name of a liquor (Timah).”
He said there should rightfully be conversations about the current spiralling cost of living in Malaysia and how it is affecting the B40 group.
“It’s good for students to come forward and voice the struggles of the general public.”
“Honestly, I feel excited that students have realised that they have a voice,” he added.
