'Being a UiTM graduate, I hope that the university will distance itself from Ibrahim Ali. He is a disgrace to our fraternity.'

UiTM VC issued notice despite no green light

Pemerhati: UiTM vice-chancellor Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar has been caught lying. BN leaders and their lackeys in public service have become habitual liars.

We have seen the government covering up the killing of people by the police or MACC with the help of lying pathologists, kangaroo coroners and even a royal commission (for example, Teoh Beng Hock).

Lately, despite eyewitness, photographic and video evidence, the cops and a minister denied firing tear gas and chemical-laced water into the Tung Shin Hospital.

Recently the education authorities continued with the blatant lie that the public university admissions were based on merit when it is obvious that the system is rigged to take in sub-standard students through the Matrikulasi system and deny admission to the brilliant students because of their ethnicity.

A few days ago PM Najib Razak said,"We have heralded a comprehensive list of reforms that have drastically improved the efficiency of the Malaysian court." Anwar's sodomy trial and the Perak constitutional crisis case clearly indicate what a blatant liar Najib is.

Ohakimm: Being a UiTM graduate, I hope that the university will distance itself from the Malay racist, Ibrahim Ali. He is a disgrace to our fraternity.

In truth, Ibrahim has always been a controversial person, even when he was in Mara. In the early days, he was our student leader and highly respected. Ibrahim the politician was not somebody that many of us held in high regard. He is a complete embarrassment to us.

Many of the powers-that-be in UiTM today are chosen because of their Umno affiliation. It not how good you are, but how good you apple polish.

Rayfire: Please don't tarnish the academic credibility of the university by even considering such award. As it is, the graduates from the university is not well-accepted after the refusal to open up 10 percent of admission to non-bumiputeras.

I have met many undergraduates from UiTM and they are talented, but this stigma of overemphasising racial supremacy may prevent these candidates from even being considered for employment.

Any right-thinking undergraduate will not vie for such award. Then again, I may be wrong - Ibrahim Ali may have a handful of prodigies in these places.

Lin Wenquan: It appears that the whole Umno/BN regime, with its departments and agencies is falling apart these days with embarrassing gaffes, gaucherie knee-jerk reactions, bungling decisions, denials in the face of overwhelming evidence, backtracking and other hilarious attempts to justify their shallow and infantile actions.

Those were the days you could get away with it because your stupidity will not see daylight with the MSM (mainstream media) doing their work faithfully. Today, thanks to cyberspace and the independent e-media, your misdeeds are being stripped bare for all to see and the MSM reporting is viewed with cynicism.

Jiminy Qrikert: Sahol, how can you claim to respect your Chinese friends or even claim to respect your Chinese wife when you are willing to even consider, let alone circulate, the proposal of a man who has shown himself to be a blatant racist bigot to the extent of issuing veiled threats of racial violence against Chinese?

How do you explain to your Chinese friends and your Chinese wife that this racist bigot's warning to Chinese to 'stock food and stay home' in the run-up to Bersih?

Or are you yourself a racist bigot who sympathises with and supports people like Ibrahim Ali because they shout out what you dare not even whisper? Does your wife know you are a closet racist bigot?

Khaled: It's up to Ibrahim Ali to offer award

BujangSenang: Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin has a point here. What he said holds water:

"If we look at overseas countries, the strength of the institution is from the contributions of its former students. (For example), Harvard has collected billions of dollars from its alumni. They (the students) know that they have gained knowledge from their institution and now it's time to give back. So, it's the same case with Ibrahim Ali."

Meaning, PAS and PKR leaders who are ex-students of UiTM can also give back to their former university. Khaled, is this what you are saying and will you let the students decide? What about a Nik Aziz (if he happens to be a former UiTM student) Award?

Lover Boy: The higher education minister is such a joker to compare UiTM to Harvard. By his statement, he did not see the objective of the award placed by Ibrahim Ali - that the students have "clear and consistent" principles in upholding their race.

Even without looking at the background of Ibrahim Ali, the objective is racist in nature, and if UiTM agrees to accept this, it can be branded as a racist institution. Now let me ask you, how do you judge a student who has "clear and consistent" principles in upholding his or her race?

FellowMalaysian: Khaled's remark has given rise to the notion that there's nothing wrong with Ibrahim's action in the eyes of the Higher Education Ministry. He has even paid tribute to Ibrahim and called his gesture as a contribution worthy of mention.

How despicable and out of focus could a minister get. Before he accused others as being fusspots, he should consider whether Ibrahim's offer of his dubious award is worthy of being accepted as the university's many grants and contributions.

This has clearly not been done and he has even tossed the ball to the students. This shows a gross dereliction of duty on the part of Khaled. He does not seem to have the mettle to handle onerous tasks that the ministry is constantly bombarded with. He should call it a day before Ibrahim Ali made mince meat out of him.

Fly Emirates: This kind of reply does not inspire confidence in the state of higher education in Malaysia, especially coming from the minister himself. The fact that the award was published in the UiTM website is already testimony of the university's acceptance of his award.

The right thing to do is for the minister to publicly censure the VC and the department head for their carelessness in allowing such an award from a known racist to be accepted.

Disbeliever: Yes, one can contribute to one's alumni but UiTM should be wise enough that to put up an Ibrahim Ali Award invites controversies.

If UiTM really would like to recognise its alumnus, then perhaps the so-called Ibrahim Ali Award should be given out to an 'outstanding' student of UiTM with a 'big mouth' known for spewing seditious and racist remarks, just like Ibrahim Ali.

I'm sure there are many alumnus who contribute to their alumni discreetly. An award should only be in recognition of great contribution by the alumnus to the university and the country in various fields. On the contrary, an Ibrahim Ali Award will make a laughing stock of UiTM and the country.

Long: The point is that the 'university' has no problem associating itself with a controversial politician like Ibrahim Ali. It's basically saying that any old guy who graduated from UiTM can donate a paltry sum to set up a vanity award, even Ibrahim Ali who has made his career out of polarising Malays and the non-Malays.

How the higher education minister can see no problem with this is beyond me.

CHKS: If it is up to Ibrahim Ali to offer the RM5,000 award, then does that mean we can have a Ah Wong Award and a Muthu Award?

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