Students outraged over ban on Chinese New Year celebration
Ng Boon Hooi
987106199
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students are demanding to know why Deputy Vice Chancellor Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali failed to give the green light to their Chinese New Year exhibition. The annual exhibition was cancelled this year after student organisers were unable to obtain approval from Zulkifli.
Chinese New Year Exhibition Committee vice chair Tang Hong Sin said the students began preparations for the exhibition since last October and they had obtained verbal approval and encouragement from the Unit Kebudayaan under the department of Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Students Affairs). The activity, he said, was organised under the auspices of the university's Students Representative Council.
Just before Chinese New Year early this month, the students asked to meet with Zulkifli to seek his approval to hold their exhibition but they were spurned by the deputy vice chancellor. Zulkifli's assistant, however, suggested the students combine their activity with a residential college as it was also organising cultural activities.
The suggestion was rejected by the students as the carnival in College Five cannot accommodate the number of expected guests attending the Chinese New Year exhibition.
The issue was taken up by Students Representative Council whose representatives met with Zulkifli. Apparently, Zulkifli gave his verbal approval to the exhibition at the meeting. But on Feb 14, the organisers were abruptly told by Zulkifli's assistant that the Chinese New Year celebration had to be put off until the next semester to make way for a Rakan Muda's National Cultural Festival (Pesta Kebudayaan Kebangsaan).
"Students are very angry with the authority because we have the right to hold our own activities on campus," Tang told malaysiakini. He added that the bureaucratic attitude of the campus was disappointing as the university should set a good example to the society.
"UTM should review its policy on approving the student activities," he lamented. The students, he said, should be given the freedom to organise their activities.
He pointed out that the Chinese New Year exhibition over last two years had been forced to be held outside the campus for a number of reasons. They included the fact that the activity draws too many Chinese participants and that such a big event should not be held during Ramadan.
According to UTM student leader Lum Shih Seng, the university policy on the students activities has become more stringent since Zulkifli was appointed deputy vice chancellor in 1997. He added that some of the activities of the Buddhist Society and Islamic Students Society were also banned by the authority due to technical reasons.
The students want an open dialogue with Zulkifli to seek his explanation for his disapproval of certain cultural events on campus.