[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 07 Aug 1999
Time: 07:24:14
Remote User: -
USM student council: 80% against mixed rooming By Jessinta Tan PENANG: More than 80% of Universiti Sains Malaysia students are against rooming different races together, USM Students Representative Council outgoing president Mohd Fairoz Mat Jusof said.
Many matriculation and first-year students from rural areas were not used to having roommates of other races, he said.
"Instead of forging closer ties among students of various races, the 'integration policy' has caused unnecessary stress," he added.
Fairoz said the 80% figure was based on the council's recent survey to counter USM's claim that students generally supported the policy.
The findings were contained in a memorandum recently submitted to the Education Minister, USM vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor, he said after the council's election for the 1999/2000 term on Thursday.
On the call by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (student affairs) Prof Md Salleh Yaapar to students to vote candidates from a mixture of all races, Mohd Fairoz said the election saw 12 Malay candidates and only one Chinese contender.
"The situation is such because students of some races don't see the need to join the council, as most of the time USM does not listen to problems brought up by the council. It looks like we are powerless," he said.
Last week, Prof Md Salleh said USM had identified about 140 students, who protested against the policy, whom he believed were "working for their own agenda."
The new president, deputy president, secretary-general and treasurer would be selected from the committee later.