PENANG, 19 December 2015 – The setting up of the Students’ Consultative Council at Universiti Sains Malaysia (DPP USM) has led to the establishment of the Youth Parliament and was then extended to the Malaysia Students’ Parliament.

“Now, USM through its Students Representative Council (MPP) would initiate another project that would bring together student leaders at the level of ASEAN and it is hoped that the project would be realised in July 2016,” said the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Student Affairs and Development and Alumni (BHEPA), USM Professor Dato’ Dr. Adnan Hussein when officiating the DPP for the Academic Session 2015/2016 here recently.

“An increase in the number of members of the DPP USM from 58 in the 2010/2011 session to 68 for this session has shown that there is an improvement in the DPP from year to year to further enhance its functions.

“The voice of USM students are also acknowledged with the appointment of the representatives from MPP to sit in two other USM councils which involved students, namely the Security Council and Student Welfare Council, which are not practised in other universities,” added Adnan.

“For this session, from the 23 proposals accepted by the Special Committee on Proposals, only 15 proposals are to be debated.

“Throughout the six years of the establishment of DPP, there were 162 proposal debated, 132 were accepted and 30 were declined, relating to various concerns ranging from the students’ welfare to the current economy, social and political issues,” added Adnan, speaking to more than 100 students comprising of members of DPP, as well as observers which include the (MPP) from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM).

“Our intention as observers here was to adopt the idea of DPP to USIM, which is to be implemented in the coming semester,” said Vice-President 1 of MPP USIM, Muhammad Irfan Mohd Jaleel who was very impressed with the DPP USM, which was implemented a la the Parliament of Malaysia.

The sole representative of MPP from the USM-KLE Campus, Belgaum India who attended the DPP session for the first time brought two issues to be debated, which were ‘Appointment of BHEPA Official Specifically for Students at USM-KLE’ and also ‘Request for the Reduction in Library and Transportation Fees’.

The third-year Medical undergraduate student, Luqman Hafizuddin Abdul Hadi said that the role of the MPP there is crucial in being the intermediary between the students of USM-KLE with the management at the Main Campus and also the Health Campus in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.

“I am truly grateful to be chosen as the sole representative for MPP over there and hoping that I could bring them some relief in living abroad,” said Luqman Hafizuddin who was also the first MPP to be appointed for the USM-KLE Campus, in India after six years being in operations there.

DPP is an initiative by USM to provide an avenue for the students to be more aggressive in presenting their views, opinions and ideas, based on facts and not upon emotions, and in an orderly manner.

During the ceremony too, Adnan invested the official robes to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the DPP Honorary Secretary, who were elected through votes by members of the respective DPP, to Haja Mydin Abd Khuthoos, Siti Zurianah Ismail and Noor Syafira Zainal Abidin.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin

Text: Nor Rafizah Md. Zain

Photos: Zamani Abd. Rahim