Wee: Address protest at graduation


MCA has lambasted the Education Ministry for being silent in the matter of the student activist who conducted a protest against the vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya at a convocation ceremony.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said government leaders, especially Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik and his deputy Teo Nie Ching, had been disappointing.

“They should speak up. This is under your ministry, you can’t let this issue get out of hand.

“You should be more sensitive towards this issue and not remain silent as though this whole issue can be settled immediately.

“There must be immediate action from the government to sit down with the university,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

Dr Wee, who is Ayer Hitam MP, also trained his gun at DAP leaders whom he said used to preach about social justice and freedom of speech.

“This is an acid test for them. The people can at least gauge their wisdom if they can manage the issue well,” he said.

Dr Wee added that everyone was entitled to freedom of speech but cautioned against jeopardising other issues or matters – in this case, the convocation ceremony.

He said the government should get to the bottom of the whole issue and address it.

This would also include looking into its root cause, which stemmed from the vice-chancellor’s recent speech at the Malay Dignity Congress in Shah Alam, he said.

Student activist Wong Yan Ke 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 against vice-chancellor Datuk Abdul Rahim Hashim’s speech at the congress, which Wong said was racially charged.

Universiti Malaya lodged a police report against Wong on Monday.

The police have also questioned him.

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