Screenshots

this is scary, i never aware of this tactic sabotaging by planting porno in their laptop (actually can accuse them using pirated software anyway). Isn't it this is THREATENING, and CRIMINAL ?

Isn't it taken away other's property without approval or acknowledgement amounting to STEALING, and CRIMINAL ? This pengawal's action should be reported to police (if police will take action), make sure include the word "mencuri" and "mengugut".

omg, why was the police carrying the automatic rifle ? Is he planning to shoot he students ? That's sign of intimidation.

Congrats, to the students for their guts. I salute them. And does the uni officer looks very much like an SB?

I am looking forward to Mustapa and OT Keat's response..

Wow, if that happened to me, I'll be real pissed. After all, private items are always private. Even police needs to issue warrants and set a written notice on item confiscated. Why HEP can do anything that like?

Hey, you're with DAP right? What are you going to do?

Bravo to the students for fighting for their rights.

If you ask any lawyer, the action to 'confiscate' the student's belongings without any intention of giving any written acknowledgment of receipt is tantamount to robbery. The officer who 'confiscated' the belongings ought to be charged for robbery or there is going to be another famous cover up again?

It is great that the Student has lodged a report and have documented the scene where the officer wanted to get away when confronted. This clearly shows that he/the University has no intention of returning any of his belongings and that they (the officer and University) knows that what they are doing is illegal and wants to leave no traces of their dastard act .

There was also no reasons given in the first place why his belongings were 'confiscated'. They are now accusing the student in an after-the-fact basis that they confiscated the items as they believe it contained pornography. Still there is no reason why they cannot give a receipt for the 'confiscated' items. Even in a polis station where a criminal has been arrested, his belongings are all registered down so that he can get them back when he leaves.

The action by the University is clearly a violation of human rights. Is this the govt you all want?

That is why my parents always teach me. Always be good to the people who are in power.

We never know what tricks up the sleeves they may have.

We may be implanted with damning evidence (as in this instance, porn) and that's the end.

I doubt that pegawai's own computer don't have any porn.

Isn't this more evidence that even in Malaysian universities, the minoritiy non-Malay students will be subjected to BULLYING tactics! This is just another manifestation of a culture spawned by the NEP and the Ketuanan Melayu mind-set whereby the non-Malays can be bullied and push around willy-nilly.

It is excellant that these Chinese students were brave and able to stand up for their rights in demanding that the bullying HEP official submit to procedures in giving a receipt or letter of acknowledgement of the confiscated items, which includes some expensive items like a laptop, MP3 players and a mobile phone. The way the entire episode was conducted smacks of robbery and they must be reported to the Police for action. But there again, I have doubts whether the Police will be fair-minded to charge the UPM culprits for this criminal act!

The only recourse these days is to educate any would-be non-Malay student to a public university to know their rights (human and legal) and to be brave enough to stand up against any bullying tactics. Remember, we cannot remain meek, subservient or cowed to such unwarranted, unfair and unreasonable actions. Otherwise, we may end up just like the Jews in Hitler's pre-war Germany!

ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS THAT GOOD MEN DO NOTHING. - Edmund Burke

The rakyat must be very wary of a group of people in this country who may be typified as simpletons carrying official functions who will turn zealots and abuse the power of their positions against every grain of good legal practice in order to serve their own interest and those of their masters.

In this country, that interest wears the horns of politics and religion. Like those Munich brownshirts of the last century, there's only so thin a line before they cross over to become fascists.

Last one checked, student affairs of a higher education institution is responsible for the affairs and welfare of students so that one may expect the Student Affairs Dept of UPM, one of the premier universities of this country, should be even more enthusiastic about serving the welfare of its students, regardless of race or political inclination.

If it's about spotchecks on the loss of a handphone, that's the job for Security and there's a proper procedure for that - search paper, reason or charge, receipt, duration, pre-confirmation of content and next steps. If it's about finding porno, who has suddenly become moral policemen while on spot checks, and where's the proof that rooms of those who're proestablishment have also been so vigorously searched? The onus for that is on the searcher, not the searched.

And, if it's about arm-twisting to make persuasion on political loyalties, that's for Dr Goebbels and the kempetai.

Are there still any dr goebbels and kempetai in Malaysia today?

This is a country which is yearning and eager to achieve Vision 2020; there's some sweet talk about producing one hundred thousand doctorates, and achieving the sublimities of R&D.

The first thing you don't do if you want to achieve those things is to send goons to twist arms in a tertiary institution which is to breed independent and rational minds. You do that, what will they think of the establishment associated with those zealots when they later go into society to be leaders?

As with the previous fracas over student reps (is it the same uni, VC?) the meaning of democracy has been shot down by some bouncers and the reason why these things happen is because the management has silently condoned them. And the reason why the management has silently condoned them is because of some fear of political fallout from their paymasters and career-builders.

So it remains to say that if all this is what democracy is in Malaysia, let's have socialism instead. At least they're more efficient.

Let me rephrase Voltaire for the new era; i don't give a damn what you think, but i will defend to the very last kopeck your right to download anything you desire onto your hard disk or to choose who you dislike in the present political lineup; looking at them, there's very little to choose between morons and monkeys.

I believe asking intelligent students to indicate who they admire of the local politicians is a complete waste of time, besides showing such limited appreciation of excellence and relevance.

To ask is also to show they intend to use the results - otherwise why ask? Thus the next question is - use for what?

Why don't establishments do more intelligent surveys? Like, erh, what're the measures to be taken on the Auditor-General's report that will make good those colossal corruption losses.

Then you will build a new generation of leaders who are game to make sure good governance is the name.

Shocking.

Blatant disregard for basic "student" rights. Procedures are in place and if the university expects all to fall in, they must ensure that their officers conduct themselves within these same laws. The video is very damning for the university and all they (students)wanted was an acknowledgement for the stuff confiscated and that's all. Its basic rights. How many of us Malaysian's have experienced this kind of raw intimidation from those entrusted to uphold the law? These jackass' make our lives a misery and constantly remind us of the cancer in the system.

thank God there's this thing called internet and the creation of "blog" ...

can you imagine what could happened to the students without internet, blog or youtube? it would be 100% cover-up with everything swept under the carpet ...

i bet the newspaper didn't (very reluctant) publish such incident ... anyway bravo to the students who even though small in numbers, shows the unity in taking care of each other ...

cheers ...

remind me of pengawas in schools confiscated stuff during spot check and not returning back.

under which act that Malaysian are not allowed to possess pornography materials on their own personal laptop or handphone?

"He was later threatened by the UPM personnel for having pornographic content in his computer"

This is funny. I don't see what's wrong with someone who is over 18 years of age visiting porn sites. Furthermore, that was his PERSONAL laptop. And having porn content history in his personal laptop does not mean he has violated the university's rules. He could have viewed it in his private room in his house, and that is PERFECTLY LEGAL.

freewave:

you are wrong. I remember The Star brings this issue before years ago and it stated is illegal to possess pornographic material when describing one interviewee obsessive with the collection. I did some research and found that under under FILM CENSORSHIP ACT 2002 (CONTROL OF FILMS AND FILM-PUBLICITY MATERIALS under obscene material), it is perfectly illegal:

(1) No person shall—
(a) have or cause himself to have in his possession, custody, control or ownership; or
(b) circulate, exhibit, distribute, display, manufacture, produce,
sell or hire, any film or film-publicity material which is obscene or is otherwise against public decency.

And the punishment is 5 yrs jail or 10,000-50,000. For more info, http://www.agc.gov.my/agc/oth/Akta/Vol.%2013/Act%20620.pdf.

But of course, since the pengawal made that allegation, the student under suspicious can lodge a police report that the pengawal possesses illicit material. Plus, he's a muslim somemore.