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UTM's denial an ‘insult to injury'
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia has added "insult to injury" by trying to defend its ban on the Chinese New Year annual exhibition organised by its students, said DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang.
Lim was responding to yesterday's report in malaysiakini that UTM denied that it had obstructed student cultural activities. Student Activities Division deputy registrar Mohd Tajudddin Othman told malaysiakini yesterday that the Chinese New Year annual exhibition was not approved for a number of reasons.
They include to give adequate time for students facing examinations; to avoid clashing with Rakan Muda's National Cultural Festival (Pesta Kebudayaan Kebangsaan) organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports; and to only encourage student activities which involve racial integration.
"It is a poor reflection on Mohd Tajuddin's qualifications and competence to be an university administrator, particularly in charge of student affairs, that he could give such ridiculous, contradictory and downright unacceptable reasons for the ban," said Lim.
He said that the students started arrangements for the exhibition four months ago so the reason that students needed time to prepare for their examinations is ludicrous. Lim added that the second reason contradicts with the first since if the university did not want the students facing examinations to be distracted, then there should be more reason to postpone the Rakan Muda event, which would involve a greater proportion of the student population.
"The worst reason of all is the third one, allegedly the administration policy only to encourage student activities which involve racial integration and not for one community only," he said.
"Does this mean that the UTM administration would also not encourage the holding of Hari Raya, Christmas, Deepavali, Ponggol celebrations as these would involve the students of only one community and not all communities to be found in Malaysia?"
Malaysiakini had earlier reported that students at UTM were upset over the ban on their annual Chinese New Year exhibition when Deputy Vice Chancellor Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali refused to give approval to the event to be held on campus.
On Wednesday, about 100 UTM students led by the Students Representative Council (MPM) delivered a memorandum to Vice Chancellor Ahmad Zaharuddin calling for the university to respect students rights in organising their activities and to reduce campus red tape and bureaucracy on such matters.
According to MPM secretary general Zulkifli Abdul Manan, UTM should not discriminate against certain student communities on campus.
The UTM Chinese New Year Exhibition Committee started preparations for the exhibition last October after they had obtained verbal approval and encouragement from the Unit Kebudayaan under the department of Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Students Affairs).
But the organisers were told last Monday of Zulkifli's refusal to give the green light to the event despite last-minute interventions from MPM.
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.
Lim said that university administrators should be encouraging the holding of more cultural events by students, reflecting the rich cultural diversity in Malaysia.
He called on Education Minister Musa Mohamad to order all university vice chancellors to rescind student policies which are insensitive to the various languages, cultures and religions in the country.
Lim was responding to yesterday's report in malaysiakini that UTM denied that it had obstructed student cultural activities. Student Activities Division deputy registrar Mohd Tajudddin Othman told malaysiakini yesterday that the Chinese New Year annual exhibition was not approved for a number of reasons.
They include to give adequate time for students facing examinations; to avoid clashing with Rakan Muda's National Cultural Festival (Pesta Kebudayaan Kebangsaan) organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports; and to only encourage student activities which involve racial integration.
"It is a poor reflection on Mohd Tajuddin's qualifications and competence to be an university administrator, particularly in charge of student affairs, that he could give such ridiculous, contradictory and downright unacceptable reasons for the ban," said Lim.
He said that the students started arrangements for the exhibition four months ago so the reason that students needed time to prepare for their examinations is ludicrous. Lim added that the second reason contradicts with the first since if the university did not want the students facing examinations to be distracted, then there should be more reason to postpone the Rakan Muda event, which would involve a greater proportion of the student population.
"The worst reason of all is the third one, allegedly the administration policy only to encourage student activities which involve racial integration and not for one community only," he said.
"Does this mean that the UTM administration would also not encourage the holding of Hari Raya, Christmas, Deepavali, Ponggol celebrations as these would involve the students of only one community and not all communities to be found in Malaysia?"
Malaysiakini had earlier reported that students at UTM were upset over the ban on their annual Chinese New Year exhibition when Deputy Vice Chancellor Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali refused to give approval to the event to be held on campus.
On Wednesday, about 100 UTM students led by the Students Representative Council (MPM) delivered a memorandum to Vice Chancellor Ahmad Zaharuddin calling for the university to respect students rights in organising their activities and to reduce campus red tape and bureaucracy on such matters.
According to MPM secretary general Zulkifli Abdul Manan, UTM should not discriminate against certain student communities on campus.
The UTM Chinese New Year Exhibition Committee started preparations for the exhibition last October after they had obtained verbal approval and encouragement from the Unit Kebudayaan under the department of Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Students Affairs).
But the organisers were told last Monday of Zulkifli's refusal to give the green light to the event despite last-minute interventions from MPM.
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.
Lim said that university administrators should be encouraging the holding of more cultural events by students, reflecting the rich cultural diversity in Malaysia.
He called on Education Minister Musa Mohamad to order all university vice chancellors to rescind student policies which are insensitive to the various languages, cultures and religions in the country.
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