KUALA LUMPUR: “We have tried not once, not twice, but many times to request for an appointment to discuss various issues with our university’s vice-chancellor. But he never once replied.”
This was what Universiti Malaya (UM) civil engineering graduate Wong Yan Ke said when referring to his and his fellow student groups’ frustration in their attempts to meet with the varsity’s leadership.
He was referring to UM vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Rashid.
Wong, 23, received backlash for holding a lone-protest during his convocation ceremony on Monday.
UM lodged a police report the next day, which led to an investigation under Section 504 of the Penal Code for intentionally insulting and provoking a person, knowing it can disrupt public peace.
“It was the VC who didn’t value us when we tried to reach him through the proper platform.
“Due to this, and over time, we lost the little faith we had in him and I thought this (the protest) was the best option I had.”
He continues to stand by his action, feeling that he had not done anything wrong.
“He said such action was common among students in other parts of the world.
Wong added that the one thing that disappointed him most was people twisting the issue to suit their individual agendas.
“This has nothing to do with racial or religious sentiments or parties.
“I’m quite disappointed with netizens who have diverted my struggle away from its original cause by trying to turn it into a racial issue, when it obviously isn’t.
“As a VC, he is accountable to the students and academicians here and not outsiders,” he added.
Wong said he was not with any political party and his act was not politically motivated.
“I did what I did because the VC failed to do his duties accordingly. It’s for the rest of the students as well.
“Actually, if you were to spend a few hours and speak to some of them here, you would know that I’m not alone in this,” he said today.
He claimed that many of the students and academicians shared similar sentiments, but they dared not to speak out, for they may also be given a hard time for doing so.
Speaking on his scroll, he said UM has not got back to him on his request, but he would revisit the chancellery on Saturday to get some answers.
“Other graduates who returned their convocation gowns received their transcripts, except for me.
“I would also like to thank the Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman for voicing out against some quarters’ call to revoke my degree,” Wong said.
Syed Saddiq had said that he disagreed with calls for Wong’s degree to be cancelled, despite feeling that Wong should not have chosen the varsity’s 59th convocation to air his dissatisfaction.
Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia and the Malaysian Youth Council were among groups which criticised Wong’s action.
There is also an online petition calling for Wong’s degree to be revoked.
Wong had on Monday courted the university’s anger when he held up a banner which accused Rahim of racism and called for the latter’s resignation when receiving his scroll on stage at Dewan Tunku Canselor.
This was followed by the barring of another graduate, Edan Kon Hua En, from participating in his convocation the next day when auxiliary police found a folded placard in his possession.
Both graduates alleged there were racist elements in Rahim’s speech during the recent Malay Dignity Congress which had triggered their actions.