A Universiti Malaya student said he was barred from receiving his scroll at the university’s convocation ceremony today, one day after a student’s lone protest condemning the vice-chancellor irked varsity officials.
Edan Kon, 23, from Negeri Sembilan, was supposed to receive his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
He came dressed in the convocation robe but was stopped at the doors of the university’s Tunku Chancellor Hall.
“I was quarantined and even when I went to the toilet, I was followed by security personnel,” he told FMT.
Kon said he believed the university administration was worried that he would carry out a similar protest like his fellow graduate Wong Yan Ke.
Wong, who heads the vocal University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany), sparked controversy yesterday when he carried a placard on stage as he received his scroll.
Wong was protesting against vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim, saying he had shamed the university when it co-organised the Malay Dignity Congress on Oct 6.
Rahim was reported to have made a racially charged speech at the gathering which was organised by UM and three other public universities.
A group of students stage a protest condemning the action by Wong Yan Ke who staged a protest against vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim.
The congress made headlines after chief organiser Zainal Kling questioned the citizenship of non-Malays.
Kon, a former Umany president himself, said he did not plan to carry out any such protest.
“They failed to justify why I was barred. I even told them I just wanted to receive my scroll and that I wasn’t going to carry out any protest.
“I’m a controversial figure who speaks up, so I am used to the suppression,” he added.
FMT has contacted UM for a response.
Kon meanwhile criticised Education Minister Maszlee Malik for his support for the Malay Dignity Congress.
He said Maszlee, who was also present with several Malay political leaders at the event, had allowed publicly funded universities to be used for political purposes.
Meanwhile, at a press conference outside the graduation hall today, Wong said the protest he carried out was normal in other universities around the world, where students would take advantage of the convocation ceremony to protest on various issues, including climate change.
“This is not really a culture here and now there are people who have started petitions to get my scroll revoked,” he said, referring to an online petition condemning his action. A group of students have also gathered today to condemn Wong’s action, carrying placards in support of the vice-chancellor.
UM has lodged a police report against Wong, accusing him of tarnishing the university’s image as well as disrupting convocation protocols.
The UM convocation ceremony was officiated by Sultan Nazrin Shah on Saturday and ends today. – FMT
Related report: Oct 15, UM Lodges Police Report over Student’s Protest for VC’s Resignation