How a change of Government could revolutionise Malaysian student politics in the UK

Just a little heads up before we proceed. This blog post isn't making a prediction on which coalition of political parties would emerge victorious from the upcoming General Election. Neither is it proposing the coalition that should win or lose.

It is instead an opinion on how a change of Government could potentially revolutionise Malaysian student politics in the UK.

If recent years have taught us anything about politics, it would be to expect the unexpected. The western world learned this lesson in 2016 after being taken aback by some surprising developments that ranged from 'Brexit' to the rise of the orange-skinned man.

The political scene in Malaysia was also not spared from its own fair share of surprises. Key among them being the return of our former Prime Minster, Tun Dr Mahatir bin Mohamad to the political scene for the first time since stepping away from the premiership in 2003 (which was nearly 15 years ago, although to be fair, he never really left).

Like a redemption plot waiting to be adapted into film, the nonagenarian (a fancy way of saying he's over 90 years old) has done what most us would never have expected him to do at this late stage of his life (or at any point at all) by becoming the opposition coalition's named candidate for Prime Minister, putting aside his past differences and animosity with other members of the opposition in an effort to "save Malaysia" and secure victory in the upcoming 14th General Election, a feat which is threatened by the existence of Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition he had led for 22 years, that has been in power since the birth of the Federation of Malaya (that's almost 61 years now).

Although some may dismiss the chances of the opposition coalition in securing a victory, the naysayers would still have to concede that the outcome is not one that is beyond the realms of possibility.

After all, stranger things have happened.

In this blog post, we will try to have a go at predicting, to a limited extent, the effect of such an outcome on Malaysian student politics in the UK but before doing that, it will be important to know the context (it's a little long but bear with me).

Malaysian student politics in the UK; does it even exist?

When you're fortunate enough (depends on your perspective) to afford being so many kilometres away from home at such a young age, it wouldn't be to difficult to imagine the need to mix and bond with people who understand how you speak, what you eat and where you come from.

Hence, it was no surprise then, that an UMNO Overseas Club was documented to be established in London in 1968 (according to the UMNO historical archives that supposedly exist) with the objective of uniting Malays in the UK.

50 years have passed since then and there are now 19 UMNO Overseas Clubs throughout the United Kingdom, some in Nottingham, Sheffield and so on and are mostly student-led.

Despite their name and clear connection to the main political party in Malaysia's current ruling coalition, it could be suggested that these Club's activities are now more focused on network and community-building rather than political activities despite their affiliation with UMNO although they have their usual invite a Minister over event. (even if it is politically focused, they don't show it expressly).

To say, however, that these student-led Clubs are free from political influence and power would be wrong.

They are in fact currently under the direct management of the main UMNO political party through a secretariat established in 2003, chaired by Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican, whose office is situated in Kuala Lumpur. The purpose of the secretariat, as stated in the website of the Bureau of Overseas Students is to carry out the task of directing and planning the activities of overseas clubs throughout the world.

It is unclear from an external perspective how active this management is but what is known for a fact, is that those who hold the highest positions in these student-led UMNO Clubs receive the opportunity to get a sponsored flight back home to attend the UMNO General Meeting every mid-December.

The President of the Presidential Council of UMNO Overseas Clubs get the added opportunity to speak at the Annual General meeting of the main UMNO party (in case you don't know that's a pretty huge deal).

Just using this as an example

Many in fact view the top positions in these Clubs as a good networking platform as well as a stepping-stone to a future political career. (Why choose these clubs over your typical Malaysian Society if you're just interested in community events?)

So yay, there's some form of student politics that's going on amongst Malaysian students in the UK but is it a good thing and is it enough?

It would be safe to say that the amount of students that are members of the UMNO Overseas Clubs are far less than one might think. A majority of students in the UK are not politically active and for some (or many) this is not a choice.

There is a clear double standard that exists when it comes to Malaysian students and politics. There are no student club for opposition parties in the UK or for any other political party as a matter of fact (the Harapan Baru and MCA one is non-student led).

If you are in support of the main party in the ruling coalition to the extent that you are a member of their Overseas Club, you can relax but if you are not (maybe because the party itself is not exactly open to all races in Malaysia) and you want to voice your concerns, be prepared to feel threatened.

There are a subtantial amount of students studying in the UK that are on scholarship with the Government and one of the clauses of their scholarship contract expressly states that these students are not allowed to partake in any political activity (despite how vague that is and despite some of them already reaching the age to vote).

They are also not allowed to be part of any partisan group (oops, that includes UMNO as well right? More on that later).

Clauses of a Government scholarship contract

These scholars receive the occasional email reminding them of their obligations so it isn't a surprise when certain student scholars organise a political activity featuring members from the opposition or even purport to attend such an activity, you might glance beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads.

This is unjust and unfair considering that the same authorities seem to have no qualms about a meet and greet session with a current minister from the ruling coalition.

While the actual number of scholars in UMNO Overseas Clubs are not stated anywhere, it would be a safe bet to assume that they do not receive the same treatment as their counterparts on different sides of the political spectrum.

It should be noted that our fellow students in Malaysia aren't as fortunate as those in the UK. The act of inviting an opposition politician into the campus of a public university could get you suspended and fined or even expelled notwithstanding the possibility of your scholarship being revoked.

Here in the UK, such a thing being done by a university would cause public outrage (not like it didnt in Malaysia) but the relevant Malaysian authorities on British soil have less power or say in the matter over here (not like they didn't try).

This does not mean that there isn't a looming threat over the shoulders of student scholars in the UK. Fees and costs of living here are high and so are the stakes.

Students that aren't scholars have their own concerns. There is the added layer of possible criminal prosecution and the dreaded thought of action awaiting these students upon their return to Malaysia.

To make matters worse, there was a time where students studying at a university or university college in Malaysia were by law not allowed to take part in any political activity in or out of the university campus. This was a direct result of the University and University Colleges Act 1971 that was enacted two years after racial riots threatened to tear apart harmony in the country. I will not be touching too much on this topic in the current blog post but it was an event that significantly shaped the direction of our country for better or worse.

Although the enactment has since been amended to allow students to partake in political activities outside the campus, the recent suspension of Anis Syafiqah for her role in helping to organise the TangkapM01 rally just goes to show that not much has changed.

While once again those that study in the UK are fortunate in that they are not within the Act's jurisdiction, they can't escape or deny its influence, as most students have opted to stay away from politics either out of their lack of confidence in their knowledge or due to a fear of persecution.

Societies and organisations are often reflection of its members. Due to a perceived reluctance of most Malaysian students to be politically active, this has perhaps seeped into the activities of many Malaysian societies that in my perspective and observation have chose to focus instead on the promotion of culture and community building events.

Due to a growing focus on university-based Malaysian societies in the UK as the number of Malaysian students in many universities have grown significantly, societies such as the UMNO Overseas Clubs have long lost prominence with its relevance now also at question. The emergence of an umbrella body of Malaysian societies in the UK called UKEC in the mid 90's, has shifted the focus of student politics from UMNO Overseas Clubs to UKEC (the blog post shall be referring to its Executive Council only from hereon).

UKEC's claim of representing the interests of Malaysian students in the UK is a bold and tempting one. It is also the reason why decisions made by UKEC ultimately result in either the life or death of most political efforts made by Malaysian students in the UK. As such, the independence of UKEC is of utmost importance.

Maintaining such an independence isn't easy due to the close relationships that it currently has with its strong alumni network, the High Commission of Malaysia and other relevant Government Agencies.

The problem with these close relationships lie in the fact that our Federal civil service has never worked with a Government that has not been managed by the current ruling coalition. As such, delegates that represent the country overseas as part of the civil service have had years of working relationships with ministers from a single coalition, with this perhaps resulting in an assimilation between the identity of the Government and the ruling coalition itself.

This incorrect line of thinking has perhaps resulted in the train of thought that serving the interests of the ruling coalition is similar to serving the interests of the nation. This train of thought is a dangerous one as possible interests of a ruling coalition to curb political dissenters or restrict freedom of speech in an effort to maintain power are interests that are not healthy to the nation or democracy itself.

The Executive is after all only one branch of the Government and it should be acknowledged that the act of criticising the policies that are implemented by it is not necessarily an "anti-Government" one.

Those that run societies or organisations such as UKEC and so on are after all only students and the unhealthy involvement of Government Agencies in pressuring these students from time to time on matters they disagree upon for politically motivated reasons is both mentally and emotionally draining.

It is not a surprise then that UKEC, once a shining example of student activism saw a period of decline in the area of activism in the mid 2010's with UKEC focusing more on corporate career prospects and networking, no longer at the forefront of student activism. The public perception of elitism did not help to remedy the situation.

It must be noted that while UKEC has slowly been dipping its toes back into the field of activism, its leaders are still sweating over efforts of trying to figure out the lines they an or cannot cross under the watchful eye of these Government Agencies and it may be said that without much change in their thinking, the status quo will remain unchanged.

A change of Government

Ironically, a change of Government in the upcoming election would mean that the man who would be Prime Minister is the very same man who has gone on record recently to say that he has no regrets implementing the UUCA during his tenure as education minister from 1974 to 1977 for the "interest of Malay students".

If this was so, why did you suggest that a change of Government will revolutionise Malaysian student politics in the UK?

I'm suggesting it because I believe that the change of Government in itself regardless of the man or woman at the top would lead to a revolution in terms of how Malaysians would see politics, shaking the foundational beliefs held by some, particularly those in the Federal civil service.

The assimilation between the identity of the Government and Barisan Nasional could be undone and the country would be headed in the direction of uncharted territory with Federal civil service staff including those working in the Election Commission all the way to the High Commission of Malaysia in London now working with a new coalition.

For the first time in our nation's history, UMNO would be the opposition.

The security that they once had would be threatened and the laws they once used in their favour are now threats that loom over their own head. The loss would force Barisan Nasional to evolve and change and to place themselves for once in the shoes of the opposition and to understand how the tools that they have used for their own political favour may now be used against them.

I'm not advocating for such laws to be used against them but if they are, I can guarantee that human rights activists that have once been shunned by Barisan Nasional would be there to fight for their rights regardless of who is in power or who is being persecuted and that may just be the catalyst needed to start helping these politicians look beyond their old rhetoric of labelling human rights activists as "pro-opposition supporters".

What about student politics in the UK?

If the UMNO Overseas Clubs aren't already losing relevance, a change of Government would be the final nail in the coffin. The support these Clubs have received from Government Agencies in the past would certainly be cut short.

A drop in student recruits would also be a-given. Not many students would want to be part of a side that has loss especially if they are looking for a fast-track to the political scene.

As for university-based Malaysian societies, a change of Government could perhaps provide courage for these societies to be more politically active as a result of the blurred lines as to who the "opposition" is.

There is also a big question that needs to be answered as to whether supporting the activities of Pakatan Harapan would all of a sudden been allowed for JPA scholars, a privilege that as explained earlier above was enjoyed by students that are members of UMNO's Overseas Clubs. It's hard to predict if the JPA scholarship contracts would instead be used against students that support UMNO. Regardless of whether this would be the case, the blurring of lines due to a change of Government may finally be the catalyst allowing conversations to be made regarding the removal of these contract clauses.

On another note, it's no secret that financial security is also one of the reasons why societies are often wary of being seen as political. While this reasoning is often adopted by those that lead these societies, it is quite apparent that most of these societies do not get direct funds from the Government anyway and rely mostly on corporate sponsors. What may be a concern to them is whether these sponsors would be willing to finance their activities if they are perceived as being political. However, being political is one thing and being partisan is another. Student societies are not companies, and are in fact meant to be political.

A change of Government would hopefully help to make this distinction clearer, revolutionising student politics in the process by separating the label of human rights struggles from partisan identity as the current Opposition coalition could equally be capable of human rights violations as the current ruling coalition.

UKEC, on the other hand, may start to see pressure from Government Agencies easing off due to these Agencies no longer treating the identity of the Government as being synonymous with Barisan Nasional. This might just be what is needed to start a revolution of Malaysian student politics in the UK as UKEC's renewed sense of independence may empower not only those within the Executive Council but also the members of the Supreme Council to take more bold steps in advocating for the civil and political rights of Malaysian students.

Conclusion

The future is not set in stone and one man's prediction could be another man's joke.

Students are often told to focus on their studies and leave politics out of their lives. However, you don't see the same being said to adults telling them to focus on work. Just as one's religion should be a personal choice, whether we, students, would like to engage in politics or not is a decision that should be made by us and not by our elders (especially if we have already reached the age of majority, 18). If anything, engaging in politics is supplementary to ones education as a student and is a necessary part of becoming a mature adult.

Political maturity is not a good argument against the political involvement of students when most working adults can't be deemed to be politically mature themselves. It imposes a double standard whereby a student who wishes to be politically active or involved must prove that he has tremendous amounts of political knowledge when an adult who has reached the voting age may go about doing as he pleases without having to amass the same amount of knowledge (bearing in mind that the difference in age here may just be 1 or 2 years).

Accepting the democratic process is to accept that there are others less politically knowledgeable people who have the same voting rights as us. Instead of preventing them from voting, we should provide the knowledge that can assist them or at least allow platforms to debate and discuss. Stopping students from being politically involved would encourage them to continue that behaviour in their later working years where they have frankly less time to develop these skills and knowledge areas.

It's a disturbing lack of faith in our youth that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A change of Government may not necessarily be the answer to the problems we face in terms of student politics whether here in the UK or back home in Malaysia but it is potentially a step forward in the right direction.

Thanks for reading! Share with your friends if you think this blog post may have any relevance to them.