KUALA LUMPUR: Engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke who brought a protest placard during the Universiti Malaya (UM) convocation ceremony on Oct 14 has been informed that he can get his academic transcript at any time from yesterday (Oct 18).
In a statement issued today, UM Board Chairman Tengku Datuk Dr. Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen Tengku Ibrahim stressed that the university was not withholding Wong’s scroll and academic transcript or revoking his degree.
He said graduates can access and print the the scrolls and academic scripts from the graduand.um.edu.my system from Oct 21 Okt.
Tengku Mohd Azzman said that while the university respected the right of every individual to exercise his freedom of speech, they also have to respect other people’s rights.
He said the UM was of the view that the graduate’s protest act did not respect the event and he had violated the occasion by not respecting other graduates, parents and other guests who were present.
He added that the university board regretted the incident and apologised to the graduates, parents and guests for the disruption.
During the convocation ceremony, Wong had brought a placard into UM’s Dewan Tunku Canselor, calling for the university head to resign and chanted slogans.
The act was believed to be targeted at the vice-chancellor whom the graduate alleged had made racial remarks at the Kongres Maruah Melayu (Malay Dignity Congress) on Oct 6,
Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen said in line with the university’s objectives and principles, the university management would be more cautious about participating in future programmes for the sake of national interests.
Meanwhile, president of the Universiti Malaya Alumni Association (PAUM) Datuk Hj Noordin Abd Razak condemned the protest act by the graduate whom he said was clearly not respectful of the event and had disrupted it.
He said PAUM agreed with the action taken by UM in lodging a police report of the incident.
— BERNAMA
