‘Racist’ UM lecturer apologises to students

The Universiti Malaya (UM) lecturer who purportedly made racist remarks against her students has apologised over the incident.

In a statement to Malaysiakini, UM vice-chancellor Mohd Amin Jalaludin said that a meeting was held between the lecturer and the students. The vice-chancellor was also present during the meeting.

A UM spokesperson confirmed that the meeting was held on March 30.

The lecturer had, during the meeting, apologised over the incident both orally and in written form, said Amin.

The students accepted the lecturer’s apology and expressed hope that the incident would not recur.

“The lecturer also regretted the incident and stressed that she did not mean to raise any racial issue. She also promised to be more careful in the future,” said Amin.

The UM vice-chancellor further stressed that the university would not tolerate any academic or management staff who are found to have not been respectful of other races.

The university had suspended the lecturer from teaching the class in which she had made the purported comments.

The UM spokesperson said the lecturer will be suspended until investigations into the case are completed.

A viral Facebook posting in February, titled ‘Voice of an Indian student’, alleged that the lecturer had barred the two students from sitting next to each other, claiming that Indians were prone to “copy and plagiarise assignments”.

After telling the two students to sit apart from each other, she is also alleged to have said she would not let them get into the same group, even for assignments, as she “knew how Indians are”.

A five-member panel was formed to investigate the allegations. The National Professors Council (MPN) has since taken over the investigation.- Mkini