Two Universiti Malaya student leaders have been suspended for a semester each because of “perjury”, said Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

They had been found guilty of forging a signature on a medical certificate that was not issued by a doctor.

A disciplinary panel, which held a hearing on March 24, meted out the punishment to students Tan Tiong Yih, and Yeong Lee Kee.

I khaled nordin t was concluded that they had submitted a fake medical certificate to avoid attending a compulsory course on the federal constitution that was held before the campus election.

“It is under the administration of the university to handle this issue... (It is) part and parcel of perjury... They have been suspended on those grounds” Khaled told reporters today.

Asked if the punishment was too harsh, he said “plagiarism” and “cheating” are two of the biggest sins in the academic world.

Khaled was speaking to reporters after attending an event at the Binary University College in Puchong, Selangor.

Minister may intervene, if asked

On whether his ministry is worried about the possibility of students holding rallies to protest the suspension, Khaled said that students should behave rationally.

Asked if the ministry would take action against the doctor or clinic involved, he refused comment.

“(The doctor) denied giving the MC. Please don’t make me comment, as I don’t have a comment on that,” he said.

“I have yet to intervene, but if I am approached through the right channels, then yes, I will be involved. But now, I will leave it to the Universiti Malaya committee members.”