The five demands made by 12 university student organisations regarding students’ return to campus.
KOTA KINABALU: University student organisations have set five demands related to the return of students to campuses for the second semester of the 2020/2021 term.
A total of 12 organisations co-signed a statement, namely Suara Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Persatuan Belia Harmoni Malaysia, Kesatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (KMUM) Suara Siswa Universiti Malaya, Angkatan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya, Demokrat Universiti Malaya, UMANY, Suara Mahasiswa UTHM, Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Demokrat Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia and Kelab Sastera Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
The five demands made by the organisations included: guarantee of students’ return to campus for semester two of the 2020/2021 session; clear confirmation of date and period of students’ return to campus; reasonable air fare price; compulsory swab tests on all students returning to campus with costs borne by the government; and involvement of student representatives in discussions about standard operating procedures (SOP) at the Ministry of Higher Education level as well as the university level.
On the first demand, the organisations stressed that the recent implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) raised concerns among university students regarding their return to campus. They therefore sought a guarantee on students’ return, which was originally announced to be in March 2021.
“To avoid problems that had occurred previously, this demand is important to ensure there are no losses in terms of costs for students who have to purchase flight tickets to return to campus, as well as rent, among others. The ministry should issue a consistent circular so as not to burden any party,” the statement read.
On the second demand of fixing a clear return date and period, the organisations said this was to ensure students have enough time to make the necessary preparations to return to campus, including preparing enough money for expenses. Last-minute announcements pose as an obstacle to students, especially those who need to travel from other states.
In relation to that, the third demand of affordable air fare and transportation rates sought the attention of the ministry to collaborate with travel and airline companies to obtain reasonable prices. The Covid-19 pandemic had caused tremendous economic strain and students were not exempted, the statement read.
The fourth demand on compulsory swab tests with costs borne by the government was to ensure the health and safety of all students returning to campus, which would also allow for contingencies and planning to curb the spread of the virus, if students tested positive.
In the fifth demand, the organisations urged for student bodies such as Kesatuan Mahasiswa and Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar in respective institutions to be involved in SOP discussions to ensure inclusive procedures.