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Respect cultural diversity on campus, universities told
Vice chancellors in the local universities should show respect to cultures of all races which make up Malaysia, said DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang this afternoon.
Lim was responding to yesterday’s report in malaysiakini that students at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) were upset over the ban on their annual Chinese New Year exhibition on campus. ([#1]"Students outraged over ban on Chinese New Year celebration"[/#], Feb 22)
It was reported that Deputy Vice Chancellor Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali had turned down the Chinese New Year Exhibition Committee’s effort in holding the cultural event at the university. The activity was eventually held outside the campus.
"The appointment of Musa Mohamed as Education Minister and Dr. Mahadzir Mohd Khir as Parliamentary Secretary had raised hopes that there will now be a new focus and emphasis on raising academic excellence and encouraging student activism and idealism in the local universities," said Lim.
However, he said that the ban on the Chinese New Year celebration in UTM showed that "nothing has been done in these direction despite their appointment for more than two months".
Lim added that Musa should explain in Parliament why Zulkifli had at the last minute turned down the application by the students to hold the annual event and why he objected to the holding of a Chinese New Year exhibition.
The students had started preparations for the exhibition since last October after they had obtained verbal approval and encouragement from the Unit Kebudayaan under the department of Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Students Affairs).
Despite the intervention of the Students Representative Council, the organisers were told last Monday of Zulkifli's refusal to give approval despite earlier agreement. They were told to put the Chinese New Year event off until the next semester to make way for a Rakan Muda's National Cultural Festival (Pesta Kebudayaan Kebangsaan).
Students have complained that since Zulkifli was appointed deputy vice chancellor in 1997, university policy on students' activities has become more stringent and some of the activities of the Buddhist Society and Islamic Students Society were also banned by the authority due to technical reasons.
"A deputy vice chancellor who could ban the holding of a Chinese New Year exhibition by students raises a larger question as to his suitability to hold such a sensitive position in a plural society like Malaysia," said Lim.
Lim was responding to yesterday’s report in malaysiakini that students at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) were upset over the ban on their annual Chinese New Year exhibition on campus. ([#1]"Students outraged over ban on Chinese New Year celebration"[/#], Feb 22)
It was reported that Deputy Vice Chancellor Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali had turned down the Chinese New Year Exhibition Committee’s effort in holding the cultural event at the university. The activity was eventually held outside the campus.
"The appointment of Musa Mohamed as Education Minister and Dr. Mahadzir Mohd Khir as Parliamentary Secretary had raised hopes that there will now be a new focus and emphasis on raising academic excellence and encouraging student activism and idealism in the local universities," said Lim.
However, he said that the ban on the Chinese New Year celebration in UTM showed that "nothing has been done in these direction despite their appointment for more than two months".
Lim added that Musa should explain in Parliament why Zulkifli had at the last minute turned down the application by the students to hold the annual event and why he objected to the holding of a Chinese New Year exhibition.
The students had started preparations for the exhibition since last October after they had obtained verbal approval and encouragement from the Unit Kebudayaan under the department of Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Students Affairs).
Despite the intervention of the Students Representative Council, the organisers were told last Monday of Zulkifli's refusal to give approval despite earlier agreement. They were told to put the Chinese New Year event off until the next semester to make way for a Rakan Muda's National Cultural Festival (Pesta Kebudayaan Kebangsaan).
Students have complained that since Zulkifli was appointed deputy vice chancellor in 1997, university policy on students' activities has become more stringent and some of the activities of the Buddhist Society and Islamic Students Society were also banned by the authority due to technical reasons.
"A deputy vice chancellor who could ban the holding of a Chinese New Year exhibition by students raises a larger question as to his suitability to hold such a sensitive position in a plural society like Malaysia," said Lim.
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