UNIVERSITI Malaya, particularly its vice-chancellor (VC) Abdul Rahim Hashim, seems to have a penchant for courting controversies that no academics worth their salt would want to touch even with a 10-foot pole.
The university has lodged a police report over the protest made at its recent convocation by civil engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke, who claimed that the VC made a racist remark at the Malay Dignity Congress.
Flashing a placard on stage that demanded the VC’s resignation and attacked racism, as well as insisted that the country is a Malaysian Land (not Malay land), Wong made his point crystal clear in an unconventional way at a ceremony that is usually filled with protocol and conventions, which, in turn, earned the wrath of the university administration.
But making a police report against this peaceful protest is akin to the university resorting to a sledgehammer in order to kill an ant, especially when Wong was merely exercising his freedom of speech, which shouldn’t be criminalised.
While it can be argued that the protest at the convocation went against the conventions of a solemn ceremony, lodging a police report against the graduate doesn’t answer questions posed to the VC.
If anything, it suggests a feeble attempt to demonise the student who was willing to stand his ground. The university has already blamed Wong for having sullied “the good name of UM”.
Given the available facts of the matter, we earnestly wonder who really is the one who smeared the university’s image as far as this issue is concerned.
The VC offering an explanation for his displeasure regarding this incident, as well as his Malay congress participation, in a civilised manner would have been a dignified option. Besides, this would be in line with Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s insistence that the VC is an open-minded academic.
Moreover, this incident could have been avoided had the VC cared to explain soon after the congress had ended in an intellectual fashion about his presence at the gathering, which, for all intents and purposes, was partisan and racist.
Apart from concerned students, certain civil society groups have also demanded an explanation for his participation – as well as that of other universities – in the controversial congress whose intellectual scope was myopic and exclusive, apart from the rabble-rousing elements in it.
If being labelled racist is not a badge of honour, then it is incumbent upon the VC to make his official position clear, as this form of negativity would indirectly have an adverse effect on the reputation of the country’s oldest university.
Right-thinking Malaysians are also concerned that universities that are funded by taxpayers’ money, contributed by all ethnic groups, had lent legitimacy to this congress that stirred uneasiness, especially among non-Malays.
To be sure, public expressions that are tinged with racism would only compound a social environment that is already heavily laden with politics of race and religion.
Besides, it violates the conventions of an academic discourse when only one side of the argument was being championed by the congress, while opposing views were not given a decent platform at the meeting.
A university that is serious about bolstering its reputation as an institution of academic excellence cannot afford to be distracted by elements in society that have narrow and dangerous agendas.
What is vital is a free flow of ideas in academia that helps to subvert attempts at promoting narrow-mindedness and sheer denseness. – October 15, 2019.
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"Since 2016, controversial televangelist Zakir Naik has been wanted by Indian authorities on charges of money laundering, and has been accused of the incitement of extremism through hate speech. He has called for the death penalty for apostates and LGBTQ+ people, the amputation of the hands of thieves, and has supported Osama Bin Ladens acts of terrorism against America. At the same time, Naik is popular with segments of the Muslim community globally and in Malaysia. He was granted Malaysian permanent residency (PR) by the previous government, under Najibs administration.
On 8 August this year, Naik was invited by PAS to deliver a speech in Kelantan, where he reportedly labelled Malaysian Chinese as old guests who should return home. He also disputed the loyalty of Malaysian Indians towards the Malaysian PM Mahathir, alleging that they were more supportive of Indian PM Narendra Modi. This issue galvanised public anger, particularly among the Chinese and Indians, and dominated headlines for weeks. Multiple police reports were lodged against Naik to revoke PR status and deport him back to India, his native country.
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