UM student activist gets support from fellow activists

PETALING JAYA: Support has poured in for student activist Wong Yan Ke, who staged a protest at a convocation ceremony in Universiti Malaya recently over a speech delivered by the varsity's vice-chancellor which he says was racially-charged.

Student activist, Adam Adli, believed that Wong's action was not criminal in nature and that students had "creative" ways of protesting.

"He was trying to raise a political issue, but the response he received was racial in nature because of the current political climate," said the student UPSI in Tanjung Malim.

Adam himself has in the past protested against UPSI, which resulted in him being suspended.

He believed that Wong's protest was valid and questioned how a vice chancellor from a university that had a strong multicultural tradition could utter such remarks.

"I don't think Wong was advocating racism – but was rather against it," he said, adding that the university could have used internal mechanisms to deal with the case rather than lodge a police report.

The varsity also barred another student from attending a later convocation ceremony, saying that there was an indication he would stage a protest which could threaten public order.

Wong's legal representative, Asheeq Ali, said that whenever someone protested, there would always be someone who would say it was not right.

In response to criticism that protesting at a convocation ceremony was not proper, he said he did not know where else Wong could have made it.

"If he had protested in front of the hall, do you think they would have allowed it?" he asked.

The Universiti Malaya Academic Staff Union (PKAUM) said they supported Wong's right to express himself, but disagreed with the platform he used.

They said that the protest had marred the occasion for others, but was likely driven by a student community that was already unhappy over the actions of the UM vice-chancellor.

PKAUM secretary Dr Noraishah Mydin Haji Abdul Aziz also said that Wong's ethnicity should not be made an issue as many Malay students and academic staff did not support the Malay Dignity Congress, and were uneasy with UM's decision to participate in that event.

Dr Noraishah said the VC had failed to promote racial tolerance and unity at the university by getting involved in the organisation of the Congress, and that he failed to disengage from the games of politicians, which is unbecoming of academicians.

"PKAUM asks where is the voice of reason and the arm of justice in diminishing the powers of politically-hungry vice chancellors who use instruments within their organisation and all political means to ensure that they remain in power, which many were not fit to fill in the first place," she said in a statement on Oct 16.

She added that UM must act now to prevent further tensions developing amongst increasingly racially-charged student groups before the situation escalates.

On Monday (Oct 14), UM lodged a police report against Wong, who staged a solo protest calling for the resignation of the varsity's VC, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hashim.

Wong gave his statement to the police on Wednesday (Oct 16). Wong had allegedly shouted "Ini Tanah Malaysia" while carrying a placard with the words "Tolak Rasis" (reject racism) and "Undur VC" (step down VC) on stage during his graduation after he received his degree scroll.

He said it was done to protest the VC's speech at the Malay Dignity Congress in Shah Alam.

Wong claimed that Abdul Rahim's speech was racially charged, and as a graduate, he had a right to criticise and call for the individual to be courteous.

The Malay Dignity Congress was organised by four public universities – Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Universiti Putra Malaysia(UPM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) – to discuss and find solutions to problems faced by the Malays.