“Sebelum AUKU, mahasiswa ada union sendiri, ada student government yang demokratik, ada perlembagaan sendiri, ada bangunan sendiri, ada akhbar sendiri, ada bas sendiri, ada kantin sendiri… mahasiswa ada kebebasan dan ada autonomi…” — Fahmi Reza

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Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti (AUKU) 1971 sekali lagi menjadi perhatian umum bila empat mahasiswa jurusan Sains Politik UKM bakal dikenakan tindakan disiplin di bawah AUKU kerana didakwa melibatkan diri dalam kempen pilihanraya kecil Hulu Selangor.

Tetapi ramai yang sudah lupa bahawa suatu ketika dahulu pada zaman ‘60an, zaman sebelum AUKU, mahasiswa berada di barisan hadapan perjuangan politik menuntut hak mahasiswa dan mempertahankan hak asasi rakyat.

FAHMI REZA (pengarah dokumentari 10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka & penyelidik sejarah gerakan mahasiswa), akan menyingkap semula sejarah disebalik penggubalan AUKU pada tahun 1971 yang lahir sebagai tindakbalas kerajaan terhadap kebangkitan gerakan mahasiswa di kampus Universiti Malaya pada penghujung tahun ‘60an.

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AUKU Public Lecture Series (1):
AUKU & SEJARAH KEBANGKITAN MAHASISWA ‘60AN
Tarikh: Khamis, 1 Julai 2010
Masa: 8:30 malam
Tempat: Auditorium KLSCAH, Jalan Maharajalela, KL (berdekatan Stesen Monorel Maharajalela)

MASUK PERCUMA!

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Public lecture ini adalah siri pertama dari “AUKU Public Lecture Series” anjuran KLSCAH Youth, DEMA dan Malaysiakini.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137864742893923

(From Left: Siti Nurbaiyah, Sheridan Mahavera, Loo Que Lin, Abri Yok Chupil.)

CAMPUS ELECTION

Loo Que Lin is a former student activist who is still actively involve with DEMA (Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement) and SPFUSM (Student Progressive Front USM).

She is currently working in a video production house and is also one of the Secretariat member in SUARAM Penang. She hopes to setup a `rakyat` TV station one day.

KUIL

Sheridan Mahavera and Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi have been working together since 2007. They have 30 years of award-winning journalism between them and continue to write for some of the country’s well-known print and online publications.

They have written on disparate subjects from a Malaysian woman that was trapped in South Korea since World War II to pre-Islamic healing rituals of Kelantan to vil-lages in North Johor that have been decimated by AIDS.

Their collaborative work is something to look forward to since they have conflicting views on almost everything – from where to have lunch to how to best save the envi-ronment. This is their first documentary.

HAK DINAFIKAN DI NEGARA SENDIRI

Abri Yok Chopil who hails from Bidor, Perak has been with SPNS (Sinui Pai Nanek Sengik), an organisation working with Orang Asli grassroot communities.

For the past 11 years, Abri has been involved with various programmes and activi-ties whether with the Orang Asli community or in collaboration with other organiza-tions. Among his expertise includes community mapping and community training.

The results are out!!

Congrats to the winners of the FFF2010 film proposal competition!

From left: Siti Nurbaiyah, Sheridan Mahavera

Journalist and freelance writers, SHERIDAN MAHAVERA SHAKIR and SITI NURBAIYAH NADZMI for “Kuil“, their proposal to unearth the real story behind the protest against the relocation of a HIndu temple in Shah Alam.

From left: Loo Que Lin, Abri Chupil

Former student activist, LOO QUE LIN, for “Campus Elections“, which takes a closer look at democratic processes in student council elections at local public universities.

ABRI CHUPIL, an Indigenous from the Semai community in Bidor, Perak, for his proposal “Hak Dinafikan“, giving voice to the concerns of grassroot Indigenous communities over customary land rights in Malaysia.

Judges and observers from Delegation of European Union to Malaysia and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung exchanging thoughts.

The 3 winners were selected by a panel of 4 able judges from 30-over applicants received for this year’s competition. Judges are Dr Mustafa K. Anuar, Associate Professor, Dept of Comunication, Universiti Sains Malaysia; Ms. Leow Puay Tin, writer and Head of Department of Performance and Media at Sunway University College, Mr. Martyn See, a Singaporean-based activist and documentary filmmaker and Ms. Anna Har, creative director of Big Pictures Production and board member of KOMAS.

Each winners will receive a grant of RM6,000 as well as support from KOMAS to produce their films. These films will be premiered in the 7th FreedomFilmFest, October 2010. Watch out for interviews and updates on the production with the respective winners!

Pada 4 Jun 2010, Soh Sook Hwa yang memohon ulasan judisi ke atas kes AUKU (Akta Universiti dan kolej Universiti 1971) bercanggah dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah ditolak oleh Makahmah Tinggi.  Oleh itu, Soh Sook Hwa harus membayar kos pentadbiran mahkamah sebanyak RM3000 dalam tempoh masa 30 hari.

Atas perjuangan Soh Sook Hwa untuk menuntut hak dan kebebasan semua mahasiswa, maka kami akan mengadakan kempen seorang seringgit untuk mengumpulkan RM3000 sebagai pembayaran ke atas kos pentadbiran mahkamah dan sokongan terhadap perjuangan beliau.

Latar Belakang:

Pada bulan Disember 2004, pihak Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) telah mendakwa Soh Sook Hwa dari Pusat Pengajian Komunikasi bahawa saudari telah melanggar Seksyen 15 AUKU berdasarkan sekeping gambar yang menunjukkan dia memakai baju kemeja -T yang memaparkan logo parti pembangkang yang dipaparkan dalam sebuah akhbar tempatan.

Soh Sook Hwa dikenakan tindakan tatatertib universiti dengan hukuman denda sebanyak RM200 dan diberikan amaran keras atas sebab saudari dituduh berkempen untuk calon Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Tian Chua di kawasan Parlimen Batu, Kuala Lumpur.  Namun demikian, sembilan pensyarah universiti telah membayar RM200 sebagai sokongan ke atas Soh pada masa itu.

Tindakan Soh Sook Hwa merupakan kes pertama mahasiswa yang mencabar kesahihan AUKU, terutamanya dalam kandungan AUKU yang melarang ahli akademik dan mahasiswa terbabit dalam politik tanpa kebenaran pihak universiti terlebih dahulu.

Soh juga membuat permohonan untuk semakan terhadap keputusan kementerian yang menolak rayuannya berhubung tindakan yang dikenakan oleh lembaga disiplin USM.

Soh memohon pengisytiharan bahawa Seksyen 15 AUKU – yang melarang mahasiswa meyertai persatuan atau parti politik – dan beberapa peruntukan lain dalam peraturan dan tatatertib USM sebagai akta yang bercanggah dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan.  Kes makahmah ditangguhkan atas masalah teknikal kehakiman sepanjang lima tahun.

Akhirnya, pada 4 Jun 2010 Mahkamah Tinggi atas hakim Mohd Zawawi Salleh telah menolak permohonan saudari Soh Sook Hwa untuk membuat semakan kehakiman terhadap AUKU atas dua sebab, iaitu prosiding USM terhadap Soh adalah tidak bercanggahan dan Akta ke-15 dalam AUKU telah digubalkan oleh kementerian.

Bagi pihak Tuan/Puan/Cik yang ingin menderma, sila membuat dermaan melalui bank dengan

Nombor Bank Akaun:  137-202-200053-4
Bank: AmBank
Nama Penerima: DEMA ENTERPRISE

Sekiranya penderma ingin mendedahkan maklumat (nama dan jumlah dermaan), sila hantar maklumat kepada:

Khaw Seng Hean, dengan alamat email carlitokhaw@gmail.com, dan nombor telefon 016-4045348.

Untuk pengetahuan pihak Tuan/Puan/Cik, tempoh kempen pendermaan adalah dari 14hb Jun 2010 sehingga 1hb Julai 2010.

Sekian terima kasih.

*Kenyataan oleh Yap Heng Lung selaku Setiausaha Pentadbiran DEMA.

Mustafa K. Anuar

Mustafa K. Anuar is Associate Professor who teaches communication studies at the School of Communication in Universiti Sains Malaysia. He was recipient of the British High Commissioner’s Chevening Award (1995-96) and of Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals (2002–03). Mustafa co-authored with Eric Loo a book, published this year, called Journalism in Good Faith: Issues and Practices in Religion Reporting, Subang: Marshall Cavendish Editions. He now leads a USM research team on ‘The Politics of Environmental Reporting: Three Case Studies of Environmental Degradation and Pollution in Malaysia’.

Leow Puay Tin

Leow Puay Tin is one of Malaysia’s finest writers for the theatre. Her writings – most notably Ang Tau Mui, Three Children and Family – delve insightfully and incisively into the Malaysian psyche through the lives of individuals. In addition to creating texts for performance, she also devises performances through collaborations with theatre practitioners, students and non-performers to come up with shows such as Bags of Stories and Tikam-tikam: Merdeka! Merdeka. Merdeka? Currently Puay Tin heads the Department of Performance & Media at Sunway University College.

Martyn See

Martyn See is a documentary filmmaker and editor with over 15 years of experience in video post-production, including editing credits for 5 feature films. In 2005, his directorial debut ‘Singapore Rebel’ became the subject of a 15 month long police investigation over alleged violation of Singapore’s Films Act, which prohibits the making of political films with “bias references.” In the following year, See made yet another political documentary, “Zahari’s 17 Years”, which remains banned in Singapore today. As the first Singaporean participant of the Freedom Film Fest, See believes that the courage to document injustices on film can act as a catalyst to social and political empowerment of any community. Aside from his filmmaking exploits, See is also the co-founder and Executive Secretary of newly formed NGO Singaporeans For Democracy.

Anna Har

Anna Har specializes in developing community-based audiovisual units and support services for grassroots. Anna served as KOMAS Programme Coordinator for four years before pursuing her postgraduate to obtain a Masters in Visual Anthropology from Goldsmiths College, London. She has extensive experience in producing social documentaries about Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. Anna was formerly the Creative Director of a Malaysian television production house and has since then established her own company Big Pictures Production.

Last October, the 6th FreedomFilmFest 2009 toured the cities of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, Kuching and London showcasing documentaries about human rights, social and environmental justice. Real Change? is the question posed by the festival organisers, querying the changes that have come our way since the Tsunami elections of 2008. This June, KOMAS and Palate Palette proudly present a special screening of all 3 winning documentaries from this festival: “Al-Fatehah Memali” by Rahmat Haron, “No Silver Lining: The Perak Crisis” by The S-ploited, and “Kayuh” by Soh Sook Hwa.

KOMAS FreedomFilmFest is an annual film showcase of outstanding alternative films and documentaries focusing on social issues that affect ordinary people i.e. HIV/AIDS, human rights, poverty and the environment. Due to a lack of commercial backing and because of the tyranny of popular mainstream media, many of these films are usually out of the reach to most Malaysians so FFF is a vital event, providing a venue for the Malaysian public to use videos as a tool for social documentation and filmmaking.

For more information this year’s Freedom Film Fest 2010, please visit: http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/

Come join us! Screenings are free! And so is our popcorn!
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Freedom Film Festival 2009 Winners

9pm, Tuesday, 15 June 2010

upstairs lounge @ Palate Palette

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: Approx. 80 MINS

KAYUH
by Soh Sook Hwa

2009 | 30mins | Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitles

This film is a first-hand account of a 100-strong contingent of cyclists in the JERIT cycling campaign who rode into Kuala Lumpur from Alor Setar in the north and Johor Baru in the south. Its purpose – to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister to highlight 6 major concerns of marginalized groups in Malaysia. With an intention to make stops at villages and towns along the way to raise awareness among the public, the cyclists were repeatedly hindered by the authorities from furthering their message.The bike ride was inspired by the Asahan march of 1967 where workers walked from the rubber plantations of Malacca to Kuala Lumpur.

NO SILVER LINING: THE PERAK
by The S-ploited

2009 | 20mins | Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitles

What happens when “frogs” jump over to the other side? In Perak, when three elected representatives of the Pakatan Rakyat “hopped” over to Barisan Nasional, it started a political wrestling match for power between the two opposing political alliance. “No Silver Lining” seeks to make sense of the issue, and the aspirations of the people of Perak.

AL-FATEHAH MEMALI
by Rahmat Haron

2009 | 30mins | Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitles

“Al-Fatehah Memali” portrays the journey of singer-songwriters Black and Meor as they try to comprehend the massacre that happened in 1985 in Kg Memali, Kedah. Their journey takes them to the village where they meet survivors and witnesses of the tragedy to uncover a forgotten story of injustice for most of Malaysia, but one forever etched in the hearts of those in Memali.