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| USM's Students' Consultative Assembly: A catalyst for greater freedom of discussion or mere pipe dream? Let's where does this takes us to... |
As some of you USM-ers might notice, USM's very own Students Consultative Assembly (or Dewan Perundingan Pelajar) is scheduled to convene officially for the first time on 23 October 2010 (Saturday) at Dewan Persidangan Universiti/Conference Hall after its trial run last month on 25 September 2010 (Saturday). Since the beginning of this month, SCA/DPP with the help of USM Student Affair and Development Division has been actively reaching out the student in search for proposals for the motion to be debated in the SCA/DPP and the list of motion which will be debated in the upcoming SCA/DPP session has been made available by the SCA/DPP Speaker (Shafiq. Hmm, he extended?) over Facebook as well as the SRC/MPP Chairman's blogpost which I will crosspost over here later.
While some people including the media and the current SRC/MPP Chairman regarded the creation of SCA/DPP as equal to student parliament, the reality is definitely far from actual thing outside. First and foremost is its function: unlike the actual thing outside which has binding decision making power to the government and its people, SCA definitely doesn't have any tangible decision making power aside from being "a new platform for students to debate issues and voicing their opinion." In fact, the function is already clearly implied in its official name, as a mere consultative body and not a decision making one. So ladies and gentlemen, let's get the fact straight: SCA/DPP is merely a "consultative" body and not Student Parliament. The body itself has not reached that level of binding power yet. Another thing regarding the SCA/DPP is its representation/composition. SCA/DPP consists of 58 deputies in which 39 of them (2/3) are members of the SRC/MPP while 19 (1/3) were selected from 177 (!) chairpersons of various clubs, societies and bodies from USM student body. The balance of power in the SCA/DPP is certainly tipping towards the SRC/MPP rendering any residual influence of the clubs/societies lot moot hence far from being representative/inclusive of the student population. (SRC/MPP might that they do, but I feel hardly represented at all especially now since I am a postgraduate student and postgraduate student doesn't really exist except in own academic realm and university incomes in the form of fees."). But then again, it has been stressed by the Prof Omar (DVC SA/TNC HEP) that deputies in the SCA/DPP are equal to each other and are not affiliate to any body whatever and hence they have their liberty in supporting or objecting to any motion. In other word, SCA/DPP is not a parliament in anyway, it's consultative assembly akin to a very watered down and essentially with little power Senate/Upper house. Other ordinary students who are interested to have a taste of SCA/DPP may attend the assembly as an observer and according to what I know the assembly might allocate time for the observers themselves to propose a motion in situ IF TIME PERMITS. But indeed, the observer's seats are indeed at a premium and it is known (as what I can see from Facebook. Ohh the freeflow of information) that the application form for the observers are distributed to "students who are active (again, a very vague term)" hence again revealing the intention of the SCA/DPP to so-called "tailor-made" their audience/observers to a handful of people who wield some sort of influence leaving out the common folk. And don't get me started on how the 19 deputies from the student bodies lot were drew from as I am definitely in dark about the actual procedure and decision process by the 177 student bodies in USM. Who wants to do the math here?
But of course, let us be a little bit more positive about the prospect of SCA/DPP. Who knows? It might works as an catalyst (as small as it may be) to instigate a series of greater reform and liberty for student to express opinion and directly influence the university body in decision making. Though it can always take a turn for the worse and end up as a mere powerless body designed to house the so-called elite and people aligned with the power that be in the WhyBies sat around talk about air while sipping their teh-tarik. Let's hope the deputies are doing their work.
Regardless of what will happen in the next two days, let's have a sneak peak of what will be actually be discussed in the upcoming and "Official" inaugural session of Students' Consultative Assembly.
USUL 1/Motion 1
1. Perbelanjaan dan belanjawan kewangan semua jabatan USM harus diumumkan.
(Expenditures and Budget of all departments/administrative arms/bodies must be made known to the public.)
2. Wang Simpanan Universiti Dikhabarkan Tiada Tetapi Pembaziran Tetap Ada
(University's Reserve Fund were declared unavailable and yet indiscriminate spending still persist.)
Two cents:
A quick search over Google (using "laporan tahunan USM" as keyword) reveals only a handful of USM's divisions/departments/arms do out up their annual financial report and budget online. (with the more significant one being the USM Library. Kudos to them.) It is a accepted fact that all proper bodies/organizations/arms should have and do have an operating budget made available for internal circulations and I do believe USM do publish an annual report and present their budget to MOHE and/or The Board of Management and do made available to all the university's Senate member and other important stakeholder in the field of education. Hence, the fundamental issue of this motion here is about the ease of access to information. While some may ask what are we going to do with that piece of information anyway? It's just numbers and facts and complicated jargons etc etc. And are we even possible to actually able to pick a bone out of those convoluted chunks of information? I won't comment on this and I will leave it to the wise judgment for the people who are actually interested in picking bones of the university's budget. Maybe what the university can do is to create a central repository online (I think those documents, at least the millenium age one are available somewhere in the deep crevices of USM's intranet.) and those who are interested can have an access to it by including relevant contact information just in case the full annual report can be made available in hard, glossy-covered and mint copy.
USUL 2/Motion 2
1. Program universiti terlalu mendesak MPD mencari penglibatan penghuni
(University's programme's too demanding in requesting Desasiswa's Residential Council for the involvement of students.)
2. Program-program universiti
(University's programme...wha? Sounds like incomplete sentence to me.)
Two cents:
Usually when the university's organize any activity whether it's spring cleaning of Tasik Harapan or public speeches or whatever camp blah blah, HEPP will call the chairperson of every student bodies in USM to sent representatives to those activities in order to "pump up" the numbers. I had my share of trouble in getting the number back in the days (because I am too understanding for my fellow comrade about the mundaneness of attending activities for such reason) and certainly it's even worse for the uniformed bodies and Residential Council which require them to find 30 people or more. Is it easy to get the number? Well, I certainly didn't give a batshit about any activities organized by my Residential Council back in Tekun days and certainly not at all for my time here in Bakti being a postgraduate student. So what's the fundamental issue here? Is it the university too demanding or the student bodies are literally powerless in persuading the ever complacent and muted campus population who would rather spend their evening stuyding/sleeping/shopping in Queensbay/hanging out with their gang watching football matches at Khaleel and Istimewa than going to university wide activities despite free foods and perks?
USUL 3/Motion 3
Penguatkuasaan Pemakaian Lanyard Semasa Memasuki Perpustakaan
(The enforcement of wearing a lanyard/nametag while entering university library)
This issue is...minute. Microscopic in my opinion. Is it degrading to wear that lanyard of yours? Why must some people insist of putting their student card in the wallet? Security purpose or personal fashion preference of don't want to be looked as a dope? It might be annoying to have that 20g of weight around your neck and that thing tend to swing around while walking but hello you're supposed to maintain silence in the library! Seriously, just wear your lanyard. If it's spoiled, fix it or buy a new one. Student Co-op is right above the hill.
USUL 4/Motion 4
Kekurangan bas untuk kegunaan HEP/Persatuan sahaja di Kampus Kejuruteraan
(Shortage of bus for student activities in Engineering campus.)
Two cents:
Not exactly for me to comment because it's too comfortable being in Minden Main Campus (HELL YEAH!). Talking about official USM buses though, I do wonder whether those shiny USM official buses are constantly on the move with activities around USM or just sitting idly over their depot at Jabatan Pembangunan. There must be some way to maximize the utilization of official buses by coordinating the timetable and such. And since Engineering campus is within the border of Penang, maybe they can integrate the bus schedule over Engineering campus with ours over the main campus. But the better solution of course is get MOAR spanking new SCANIA BUSES! And MOAR drivers too to keep it on the go!
USUL 5/Motion 5
Permohonan Perkhidmatan Internet Berjalur Lebar Tinggi, “New Open Access Network”
(Demand for Highspeed Broadband Internet Service "New Open Access Network")
DO WANT. WARP SPEED AHEAD!!!!!!!!! 'Nuff said. I am an internet junkie, remember? And down with the The Great Firewall of USM which blocks Youtube, Facebook applications, file-hosting websites, pornography and any link that contain Naruto.
USUL 6/Motion 6
Kemudahan Prasarana Di Desasiswa Tidak Memuaskan
(Infrastructure in USM *Desasiswa unsatisfactory.)
A very vague statement which can be specified further? Do you mean: Air-Con in which you can have control off which results in toasty lukewarm air or Polar Icy blizzard over DK? Or you mean the internet which will never satisfy the growing hunger for quick fix of internet anti-drug? Or you mean the walking path which expose you to the natural factor? Or lack of bicycle path? Or lack of place do dry your clothes? Or lack of free water machine especially since the free one over DK foyer were removed? Or...ad infinitum. Please specify one.
*edit: Yikes mind fart. It's about Desasiswa. In that case...erm. More washing machines per block (especially RST), more functioning water machine, upgrade the computer over the computer lab and not to mention the internet coverage. Every little helps! The postgrads block over Bakti demand Water Machine too.
USUL 7/Motion 7
Persatuan Seni Mempertahankan Diri Tidak Dijadikan Sebagai Ko-Kurikulum
(Martial Arts Societies not included as a part of co-curriculum.)
Two cents:
Again, what do you mean by this statement? Do you mean that it's not accorded to the same standard of Silat Cekak and Taekwondo which are able to contribute actual credit/hour units for students? I believe there are room of discussion for this but before this can actually happen, the Martial Arts Societies must actually come up with proposal of the course structure (and the amount of units it suppose to contain) and seeking approval and collaboration and quality control by the sports regulating body outside and etc. So let's see whether the current credit-contributing co-curricular activities can be expanded or not in the near future.
USUL 8/Motion 8
Pertandingan Yang Dianjurkan Oleh Kampus Induk Tidak Efisien.
(Competition organized in Main Campus inefficient.)
Two cents:
Again, what do you mean by inefficient and which competition do you mean? Sports (like SUKAD or TOT and other sport-specific competitions) or Arts/Literature (Such as Debat Piala Canselor or Deklamasi Sajak or Pengucapan Umum etc?) or random competition imaginable (Chess or robotic or blah blah blah?). But of course the whole thing regarding the inefficiency can be relate back into the issue I mentioned in the Motion 2 earlier, that we USM-ers are just enjoying our life blissfully in our room facing our laptop.
USUL 9/Motion 9
Kemudahan Sukan Yang Tidak Memuaskan
(Sports facilities inadequate.)
Two cents:
Well I don't care a shit about sports because I hate sports and an alarming numbers of athletes being an annoying competitive bellend in real life. But fact remains that our campus is considerably small when compared to other public full-fledged universities in Malaysia and being hilly and all (not that I mind though. Because I can walk around campus effortlessly!) Any work of expanding sport facilities and we'll be running out of building space in no time. But if you're talking general sport facilities for public usage (instead of just athletes. blergh.), definitely we could have more gyms especially in the Desasiswa and better built pathway/pavement for jogging.
USUL 10/Motion 10
Pilihan raya kampus perlu berasaskan parti atau berplatform.
(Campus Election must be party or platform based)
Two cents:
Here's a very interesting one! Some of you who followed campus politic closely which obviously notice that it's currently dominated by two loosely group factions namely Aspirasi and Pro-Mahasiswa which despite their antagonism against each other, are actually pretty much the same by lacking in solid, tangible platform of their movement as well as physical presence who tend to only manifest during election campaign besides the fact that University adminstration, despite how much they actually have a hand in campus politic, officially holds on to the position that campus-election are essentially non-partisan in nature (despite the fact it isn't in reality). The issue about presence are painfully obvious in Aspirasi faction which usual dominated by influential individuals and yet at other time exist as a group. It's almost like Schrodinger's Cat in which it exist and doesn't exist at the same time! Each group often claim themselves as representative of students welfare but I can't help but to feel under-represented and side-lined because they're very much irrelevant to me as life still moves with of without them. Ok, enough with my rant and back to the discussion.
Anyway, this motion can be seen as an effort to either legitimize the existance two factions in Campus Politic into true solid organizations (Hopefully. But I am hoping much more of seeing these two factions DEAD. And there are signs that it's going to be like that in near future.). Or another perspective is to see these two factions replaced by other platforms (hopefully an actual one with proper ideology other than racism just like what's available in European universities) which in turn might require universities to realign the electoral process and constituencies and such to accommodate such change as well as delegating more decision making power to such student power to make it more relevant to campus population and forming a proper, more vocal, influential and inclusive student movement. So which one shall be the outcome then? And how is it going to affect us as the voters? Let's see what's the result of discussion in the upcoming SCA/DPP.
USUL 11/Motion 11
Menuntut kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang membenteras isu merempat dikalangan rakyat.
(Demanding the Penang State Government to handle the issue of homeless vagrant).
Two cents:
Aha, social issues. Unfortunately as I mentioned SCA/DPP as an essentially powerless body that wields little binding power and influence, whether it can influence the state government to take our statement seriously has yet to be seen. But homelessness, affordable housing (especially since Penang island with land at premium, are certainly pressured to provide affordable housing for it's people.) and proper law-enforcement by Police and Local government. And then there's of course the constant tussle between the state government and the federal one in jurisdiction in local government when people has started moving in droves to Seberang Perai and Balik Pulau looking for affording housing hence fueling an even more car-dependant society.
USUL 12/Motion 12
Mendesak parlimen negara Malaysia menggubal satu rang undang-undang berkenaan masalah “menghidu gam”.
Two cents:
Again, social issues which we are not in power to influence it. Glue-sniffing for stupid youth to get their kicks because they don't have money to purchase actual drug. But the glue is so useful in the industry and daily life too! Regulate it like gun control? You mad?
USUL 13/Motion 13
Penggunaan ‘SECURITY CARD’ di kawasan Kompleks RST bagi mengatasi masalah kekurangan tempat letak kereta serta mengetatkan penggunaan kenderaan (kereta) terhadap pelajar.
Two cents:
Again not exactly in the right position to comment since I don't drive here in campus and now staying in Bakti has render any need for it to travel around moot. Good bye, walking from Tekun to Pusat Bahasa days (happened once). Yeah, students who're driving, this is what you get for living in a urban island of Penang yo!
USUL 14/Motion 4
Laluan sehala RST terus ke foyer DK W
(Direct service of campus bus from RST to DK STUVW)
Two cents:
Support all the way! Actually this arrangement has been done once two years ago when a landslide happen at Restu which block the one way road up to Restu which forced the bus to improvise their limited service by extending the service to DK STUVW until the debris were removed and side wall fortified. The feedback has been quite well for that bus I think hence it's a high time to bring back that premium service once again.
USUL 15/Motion 15
Mahasiswa Berpolitik/ Universities Students in Politic
Two cents:
Again, a very vague statement. And my position for this is student should stay out of (Malaysian) politics until the current, racially fueled political arena and racially based parties is DEAD. Why can't they follow an actual political compass with policies following an actual ideology? Conservatism, Liberalism, social democratic etc.
USUL 16/Motion 16
Elaun kepada Ahli-ahli dalam Dewan Perundingan Pelajar
Allowance for Deputies of SCA/DPP
Two cents:
What?! You guys have free food over the break and all the proceedings and stationaries provided FOC by the BHEPP and whenever there's any course and such you guys get if for free so what more do you guys want! Formal attires? Buy one yourself. It's an investment well done. OK, if you insist, maybe form an internal committee for expenditures in which each deputies can claim for stipends. But hopefully it won't be abused like the one happened in UK! Pet food?! Porn?! Haute-couture?!
USUL 17/Motion 17
Penglibatan suara mahasiswa dalam penentuan dasar-dasar dan polisi-polisi universiti yang berkaitan dengan mahasiswa.
Two cents:
Why yes of course this is a must! Even though we're stuck with a limited powerless body, we can still make an opinion and make the university's admin listen!
USUL 18/Motion 18
Menolak cadangan CUEPACS yang ingin melanjutkan usia persaraan penjawat awam dari 58 tahun kepada 60 tahun.
(Opposing CUEPACS proposal for extending retirement age from 58 to 60 years old.)
Two cents:
Well, most of the 60 years old these days are definitely far from being senile thanks to the advancement of modern healthcare but there's indeed genuine concern by the public (usually those who work in private sectors. Screw them.) that keeping the civil servants for another two more year will incur more burden for the taxpayers to keep the already bloated as it is and sometimes downright incompetent and redundant civil service afloat. Other concerns include the transition of power from the older generation to the younger new civil servant will be slow. But I, for one of those rare people who wants to work in civil service (thanks to all the perks that I enjoyed with both of my parents toiled in service for the government and its people), actually supported this suggestion. Sue me if you want, you private sectors idiot!
USUL 19/Motion 19
Mahasiswa dan Politik Kepartian (Student and Partisan Politics)
Two cents:
Yet again a very vague statement which can be look in two aspects which I already mentioned in Motion 10 and 15 and 17 too if you wanna include it in. Democracy in its truest form are the one of Athenian in which all citizen in Athen have a chance to speak in the popular Assembly, in a a form of direct democracy which currently in modern context the closest Switzerland in which the public can initiate a referendum in decision making. So how far can we aspire towards such utopian direction or we just have to make do with what we have right now...
Phew, it's unbelievably long. If anyone of you actually managed to read until this paragraph, then I shall gave you my deepest gratitude for toiling through the painfully long post, tracing my scattered thoughts and ideas and opinion along the way. Regardless of what I think of course, let's hope that we can see some positive outcome and great discussion within that chamber when the session commence this coming Saturday. Exciting times ahead! (or if it's anticlimax with mundane result, we can always choose to ignore it and move on with our life)
Epilogue: I am gonna get carpal tunnel syndrome if I continue write such long post again. Ouch my fingers and my arms. Meanwhile regarding my current Master's life: still reading, still reading and still brewing inspiration to write my proposal. We'll be back in my usual mundane daily life post next. Compiling materials about it already.
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