Lawyer and civil rights activist Siti Kasim today defended Universiti Malaya student Wong Kan Ye who recently demanded the university’s vice-chancellor resignation over the racist statements he made at the recent Malay Dignity Congress.
Siti said the only good thing from the row is that the university had a student “who is still able to use his brain instead of kowtowing to the racism apparently prevalent in your university”.
“If you can come up with a press statement on this condemning a Malaysian who is standing up for his right, why are you silent on the action of your VC’s extremely racist statement towards millions of other Malaysians in this country?” she asked in a statement.
Asking if UM is a racist institution and the institution should be ashamed of its conduct in the row, Siti said Wong’s action is a consequence of “your VC’s racist statement”.
“This is an educational body. You should be ashamed to have a VC who is obviously racist.
“It is this student’s right to respond to his VC in this manner so as to get the attention of many.”
The 23-year-old civil engineering graduate is in the news for flashing a placard demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim when receiving his graduation scroll at the convocation ceremony last weekend.
The university has lodged a police report against Wong, who said he was making a stand against racism.
UM accused Wong of not showing any respect for the convocation ceremony and disrupting protocol, charges which he denied.
At the congress, Rahim allegedly said the change in government after the 14th general election had eliminated Malay political dominance and asserted that Malay privileges were being questioned.
Rahim was also alleged to have warned others not to challenge the social contract. – TMI
Related report: Oct 15, UM Lodges Police Report over Student’s Protest for VC’s Resignation