Convo protest student can collect transcript, says UM board

UM engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke has been told his degree will not be revoked.

KUALA LUMPUR: Engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke, who staged a lone placard protest during the Universiti Malaya (UM) convocation ceremony on Oct 14, has been informed that he can collect his academic transcript.

In a statement today, UM board chairman Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen Tengku Ibrahim stressed that the university was not withholding Wong’s scroll and academic transcript or revoking his degree.

He said graduates can access and print the scrolls and academic scripts from the graduand.um.edu.my system from Oct 21.

Tengku Azzman said while the university respected the right of every individual to exercise his freedom of speech, they also have to respect other people’s rights.

He said UM was of the view that Wong’s protest did not respect the convocation ceremony and he had violated the occasion by not respecting other graduates, parents and guests who were present.

He said the board regretted the incident and apologised to the graduates, parents and guests for the disruption.

After receiving his scroll at UM’s Dewan Tunku Canselor, Wong displayed a placard on the stage, calling for the vice-chancellor, whom he alleged had made racial remarks at the Malay Dignity Congress on Oct 6, to resign.

Tengku Azzman said that in line with the university’s objectives and principles, its management would be more cautious about taking part in future programmes.

Meanwhile, the president of the Universiti Malaya Alumni Association (PAUM), Noordin Abd Razak, has condemned the protest, which he said was clearly not respectful of the event.

He said the association agreed with the action taken by UM in lodging a police report of the incident. - FMT