UM condemns student, lodges police report after lone protest at convo
The university says Wong Yan Ke has tarnished its name.
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) has lodged a police report against an engineering graduate who staged a lone protest during his convocation ceremony yesterday, saying the action has tarnished the name of the university and its academic population.
It also condemned Wong Yan Ke, who carried a protest placard on stage as he received his scroll, saying he had shown disrespect to the convocation ceremony and disrupted its protocol.
UM said it was not against Wong’s right to exercise freedom of speech.
“But as a university entrusted to educate future generations, we believe that any action based on such a principle should be done at the right place and in the correct manner,” the university said in a statement.
Wong yesterday told FMT that he was protesting against UM vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim, who was seated in the front row of the hall, for allowing the university’s name to be used in the Malay Dignity Congress in Shah Alam on Oct 6.
“The message behind this act is that when students or lecturers find a leader to be unqualified, then we have the valid right to criticise. Also, to ask for that individual to carry their responsibility in giving an explanation to us,” he said.
Rahim was reported to have made a racially charged speech at the congress, organised by UM and three other public universities, which made headlines after chief organiser Zainal Kling questioned the citizenship of non-Malays.
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The UM convocation ceremony was officiated by Sultan Nazrin Shah on Saturday and ends today.