Why the ministerial silence on UM graduation fracas?

Education Minister Maszlee Malik is staying unusually quiet about the Universiti Malaya (UM) row, which has seen allegations of racism made against its vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim.

Surely he sees the need for an immediate investigation into these allegations. Instead, he is allowing the vice-chancellor, the administration staff, and the National Professors Council (MPN) to close ranks and to use their powers to target and punish students.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, too, is often vocal about issues outside his remit like the Gojek transportation service and Foodpanda driver disputes. He should stick up for the students and at least encourage a dialogue between the parties involved, but he is also unusually silent.

Engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke staged a peaceful protest to voice his disappointment with the behaviour of the vice-chancellor, Rahim. Some may say he made a bad decision to protest during his convocation, but to be fair to him, what choice did he have?

Malaysians, especially students, have been conditioned to be seen and not heard. Teachers and lecturers rarely practise what they preach – it’s often a case of “Do as I say, not as I do”.

Few public complaints are acted on. In some cases, the problems are swept under the rug. Wong was right to publicise the endemic racism which has engulfed out public universities and communities.

To add insult to injury, UM also targeted an accounting graduate, Edan Kon, and prevented him from receiving his degree certificate because it feared he would stage a similar protest. What proof did it have that he would protest? It should not have barred him from his own convocation on the strength of mere suspicions.

Four public universities – UM, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Putra Malaysia – organised the Malay Dignity Congress on Oct 6. The congress did not promote unity but was an event at which Malays vented their anger and frustration and blamed their lack of success and inadequacies on the non-Malays.

How much taxpayers’ money was used to promote this event? How many man-hours were spent by the vice-chancellor and university staff organising the congress?

Public universities should neither promote racism nor champion exclusivity. During his opening speech at the congress, its organiser Zainal Kling questioned the citizenship of non-Malays. Pakatan Harapan leaders who attended this event should have walked out. They should represent a multicultural Malaysia, not just the Malays.

UM’s General Staff Union (UMGSU) and the Administrative and Academic Officers Association (Pekerti) voiced their support for Rahim and criticised Wong’s actions, alleging that he had tarnished the university’s name.

Perhaps they are too dense to understand that this was done by the vice-chancellor himself, who let himself be used as a political tool and exposed his racist credentials during the congress.

Conversely, the UM Academic Staff Association (PKAUM) supported Wong and issued a statement to confirm that the students were unhappy about the “misdemeanours of the UM vice-chancellor”.

PKAUM association secretary Noraishah Mydin Abdul Aziz said Rahim had failed to ensure safety after a fire at the economics faculty in August. She said he also failed to implement measures to deal with thefts on campus.

In other words, she said the students thought the vice-chancellor was incompetent because he did not address the issues they highlighted.

The vice-chancellor, UMGSU and Pekerti might have been upset because Wong did not confine his complaints to the conduct of the vice-chancellor but also exposed other problems on campus.

MPN president Raduan Che Rose then waded into the fracas and said UM has the right to revoke or withhold Wong’s degree. He said anyone who takes part in an official ceremony is subject to its protocol and governed by written and unwritten rules and regulations.

Unwritten rules and regulations? Raduan sounds like one of the people in high office from the previous administration, who make up rules to suit their whims.

MPN is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department. Raduan’s meddling will be seen by many as political interference.

Instead of castigating Wong and the unhappy students, the vice-chancellor should engage with them and address their complaints. He should nip racism in the bud before the problem escalates.

UM targeted the two students and lodged a police report against Wong. Only hypocrites who condone racism would consider the graduate’s actions criminal.

The vice-chancellor’s position is untenable. He dragged UM into the political and racist arena. He should resign before he is sacked. - FMT