UM lodges police report over solo protest for vice-chancellor’s resignation

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 15 Oct 2019 11:32AM · 21 Comments

UNIVERSITI Malaya (UM) has lodged a police report over a graduate’s solo protest in which he shouted for vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim’s resignation while receiving his scroll at a convocation ceremony last weekend.

Civil engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke, also a student activist, had also held up a sign stating the reasons why Rahim must resign.

One reason was that Rahim was “promoting racism and hatred” in an allegedly racist speech at the Malay Dignity Congress earlier this month.

On stage after receiving his scroll, Lim unfolded a sign while shouting out “Tolak Rasis” (Reject racists), “Undur VC” (Vice-chancellor resign) and “This is Malaysia”, in the presence of Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is the UM chancellor.

“UM strongly condemns his actions which which did not show any respect for the convocation ceremony and was a disruption to protocol. It has also tarnished the name of UM, the graduates and the entire UM community.

“His actions, done at an official event in public, before the Chancellor, before parents and graduates, is rude and cannot be condoned at all.

“UM has lodged a police report over the incident. We submit to the authorities to investigate and take appropriate action,” the university said in a statement today.

In a speech at the Malay Dignity Congress, Rahim was reported to have said that Malay dominance in politics were reduced after the change in federal power last year, and that Malay rights have been challenged.

UM Students Union vice-president Yap Wen Qing was the first to call for Rahim’s resignation after the event, adding that the vice-chancellor had also failed to foster better inter-racial ties among students on campus.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik’s response was to advise unhappy students to meet with Rahim in person.

A short video clip of Wong’s protest on stage at the convocation is being widely shared on Facebook, while a petition is online calling for his UM Bachelor’s degree to be retracted.

UM in its statement today added that the university supported freedom of speech but said such principles must be exercised “at the right time and place”. – October 15, 2019.

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Comments

  • Investigate what? Freedom of expression, UM tak boleh faham ke

    Posted 4 years ago by Penganalisa L · Reply

  • UM will make him famous.

    Posted 4 years ago by Penganalisa L · Reply

  • UM will make him famous.

    Posted 4 years ago by Penganalisa L · Reply

    • The VC should resign because of his racist remark. As Vice Chancellor of a prestigious university, it is true disappointing that he made those racist remark. Wong was right to ask for his resignstion. Bravo, Wong. You are brave and a true Malaysian.

      Posted 4 years ago by Dennis Ng · Reply

  • UM has totally lost it...

    Posted 4 years ago by Baru Malaysian · Reply

  • If UM cant take the heat, then it should not have supported a political meeting which is racist in nature, and the VC should be careful if what he said. What ya good for the gander should be good for goose, as they say.

    Posted 4 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • This student didnt tarnish the name of UM. The VC happily tarnished it himself by speaking at the Malay Dignity Congress spewing hate speeches. If i am an employer I will employ this student. He has guts and passion and willing to stand up for what he beieves in. The VC should be removed immediately and the Chancellor of the University must see to it that UM must have a credible VC to uphold the name of a prestigious University.

    Posted 4 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

  • Lodge police report for what unless police is now a racist tool too

    Posted 4 years ago by S L · Reply

  • A bunch of ungrateful lot

    Posted 4 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • UM Did participate in Seeking malay dignity in the stadium. Actually DIGNITY is within ONE SELF not in the stadium. TRUTH ALWAYS HURTS.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • Mr Wong is not lying he is just saying what the whole world saw.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • This Melayu named Kling, thought that he could spew his venom publicly without any consequences. Boy was he wrong! Under the guise of Malay dignity, he felt that he could get away with anything he said or professed. NOW he has learnt how one's carefully hidden prejudices, can in a moment of carelessness, come back to haunt him! He has been called up by the police for investigations, like a common criminal. To add insult to injury, a graduand, exercising his right of free speech, publibcly humiliated him in front of the whole world for being a racist sod. If this had taken place in Japan, Hara Kiri would have been an option. However, not learning from this episode, the university, bumbling fools that they are, made a police report! Being rude is not a crime. Of course, if Mahathir is also cheesed off with what happened, he could always exercise his favored option, when no proof of wrongdoing is available, what we can call the LTTE option: using SOSMA on the young man. Whatever happens, one thing is sure. The Melayu named Kling's reputation is manure.

    Posted 4 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

  • Why has no action been taken on the racist UM VC?

    Posted 4 years ago by Gerard Lourdesamy · Reply

  • Brother 99% muslim politicians are TAINTED WITH CORRUPTION n LIES What DIGNITY is Melayu talking abt. SHAME ON MUSLIM POLITICIANS. Muslims Always want to BULLY the Minority. We lost alot we keep
    Silence Muslims lost nothing making so much of noise.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • Minority should be PROTECTED by the govt of the day NOT ABUSED. On JUDGEMENT DAY THE GOVT HV TO ANSWER TO CREATOR.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • The university mind set still remains at Pekan Lanun oppressing era. Sikit sikit police report and hope the police will take immediate action to harass the people.
    The only person who tarnish the university good name is the VC himself!

    Posted 4 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

  • Why DAP is not lodging a police report?

    Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • MU today is full of kangkong Professors! Students just voice his discontent and MU made a police report! MU manegement also full of kangkong stuff. Only incompetent people scared of diverse voices. Today's situation in politic is surely Malay cheats Malay. With DAP in govt. for sure it will not happen again. DAP men and women are mainly people of high principle. They are not rich but would not abuse their authority for money. But UMno was a rotten case of mainly corrupted people. When they see money, principle, religion and shame all forgotten. Just look at them now, they still smile after sapu millions and billions into their pockets.

    Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • UM is definitely wrong in this case.

    Posted 4 years ago by CS Lee · Reply

  • UM shoes to be a totally shameful institution. How more deplorable can it get to actually lodge a police report on a single protestor who was protesting racism. It should be taking issue with its racist VC and hide in shame.

    Posted 4 years ago by Sunita petrus · Reply

  • UM does not have its own disciplinary panel? Why resort to police? So, who is trying to make the issue bigger?

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply