Student bodies rally behind Bawani

Stephanie Sta Maria, fz.com

Within a day of a video clip of her public humiliation going viral, K S Bawani has been deluged by messages of support from outraged university student bodies.

The University Utara Malaysia (UUM) student became an overnight sensation after the 24-minute clip showed her being berated by a panellist at a UUM forum entitled "Are University Students In Line With Politics?".

 

The panelist, Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin, let loose a barrage of insults at Bawani for speaking out against forum organisers for what she believed was their wrongful presentation of Bersih and its leaders. 

 

Bawani had also questioned why Malaysia was unable to offer free tertiary education unlike other countries. 

 

Sharifah Zohra Jabeen however mocked Bawani's opinions and belittle her intellect before launching into a startling monologue on problems faced by animals. 

 

Internet users have had a field day in showcasing their scorn towards Sharifah Zohra through memes, songs, criticism on her Facebook page and a mock Facebook page for animal complaints.

 

In the midst of that however, another Facebook page entitled "We Are All Bawani" was set up and was almost immediately swamped by messages from indignant Malaysians. The page has garnered more than 24,500 "Likes" so far. 

 

Many university student body representatives posted official statements on the Facebook page with a good number of them demanding that Sharifah issue a public apology to Bawani. 

 

The previously unknown Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M), of which Sharifah Zohra Jabeen is president, yesterday said that there was no reason for her to apologise as Bawani should "learn to respect others". 

 

But according to forum participant, Faiz Razali, Bawani had not been provocative and had in fact even asked Sharifah Zohra Jabeen for permission to speak beforehand. 

 

"It was instead the forum itself that was provocative in raising politically sensitive issues that caused discomfort among some of us," Faiz wrote on Facebook. "I was very disappointed at the forum's content." 

 

Vice-president 1 of the Student Representative Council at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) Ahmad Fathi Salleh pointed out that tertiary education is meant to mold students into individuals who uphold the ideas of intellectualism, critical thinking and refined manners.

 

But to their dismay, he said Bawani's opinions were met with a "hostile disposition" that did not portray the culture of tolerance and open-mindedness. 

 

"Instead it reflected the shallow judgment of a supposedly respectful figure," Ahmad stated. "We firmly stand with Bawani and it's for the speaker to apologise to university students for degrading our rationale and intellect."

 

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Student Society vice-president 1 Nur Afifah Abdull Rahim, meanwhile, noted the irony in Bawani being humiliated for voicing an opinion that was in line with the forum's theme. 

 

Izham Ismail from Universiti Malaya's (UM) Student Representative Committee called Sharifah's behaviour "unacceptable" and contradictory to what students are championing. 

 

"As students, our rights must be defended, our voices must be nurtured and our hearts, dignity and stand must be prioritized," he said. "Sadly, Sharifah doesn't understand that." 

 

"If Sharifah wants to open our eyes then she should also learn to open her eyes to respecting us. I believe that if animals could talk, they would ask her to do the same."

 

UM also challenged Sharifah Zohra Jabeen to hold a forum on its campus and invited her to join them if UUM does not stand up for her. 

 

UUM's International Affairs Society Committee had already issued a statement condemning Sharifah's Zohra Jabeen behaviour. 

 

"Any rebuttal should be delivered professionally and not through an analogy of animals that had no connection whatsoever to the facts that Bawani had put forth," it said. 

 

Both the committee and the UUM Student Progressive Front have called on Sharifah Zohra Jabeen to issue a public apology to Bawani.

 

Even political parties leapt at the opportunity to support her with Pas Youth vice-chief Raja Ahmad Al Hiss congratulating Bawani for showing that students are now brave enough to voice their political views. 

 

"They are an intellectual group and have the maturity to grasp political issues," he said. "They are not a group to be taken lightly."