YOURSAY | ‘As I expected, Monash University Malaysia would backtrack.’

Monash apologises for 'illegal gathering' email, says it’s only a reminder

Alunan Ombak: The uproar remains unabated over Monash University Malaysia registrar’s “warning” email which covers the offence and its possible punishment against students found participating in illegal gatherings.

A subsequent response includes an “unreserved apology” (over the wording of the email) and a “reminder” to students not to take part in unlawful assemblies and to be aware of the consequences of participation.

In its contradicting response, isn’t our local Monash University trying to wriggle out from its present predicament for having getting itself involved in local partisan politics by issuing a prior punitive “warning” against would-be participating students?

Monash University’s vice-chancellor should come out with a statement to clear the air once and for all. The ongoing public uproar doesn’t benefit both the local Monash University and its fee-paying students.

Pemerhati: This is what really is happening. Bersih has organised ordinary Malaysians in yellow shirts to rally, among other things, to demand for clean and fair elections and that Najib step down as PM for his involvement in the 1MDB scam in which billions have been allegedly stolen.

Najib is worried that if a very large number of people turn up, it will reflect badly on him locally and internationally. He is thus using various strategies to prevent the people from rallying.

One of the strategies is to get his paid lackey Jamal Md Yunos and his paid red-shirt thugs to try and scare the yellow shirts with possible violence during the rally.

The other strategy is to get his lackey ministers, heads of the public service and education institutions to scare the public, the public servants and students with disciplinary action or police action if they join the rally.

Ferdtan: Both Monash University Malaysia and Curtin University Sarawak should not be called universities for such statements barring their students from attending Bersih rally.

They are run by private companies, and the students pay them huge tuition fees for their education and it is not for them to control the students' private lives outside the campuses. We cannot say anything about public universities, as they are government-controlled.

Therefore, Monash University Malaysia registrar Susheela Nair and the relevant person from Curtin University should be sacked for their behaviour, which has gone beyond their authority.

Apologies not accepted; Susheela must be sacked. Otherwise, Monash, a world-renowned higher learning institute, will be a laughing stock of the world.

CQ Muar: The statements issued by Monash University Malaysia are shocking, considering it sees itself as a world-class institution of higher learning.

Is this what you expect of your students... to acquiesce subserviently to a rotten and highly corrupt government, in order to stay in business?

If so, then we know what kind of "quality" students your university will produce. As a university equated to those in advanced countries, you're expected to be in line with perceptions of the quality of the students you will turn out upon graduation.

Fair Play: As I expected, Monash University Malaysia would backtrack. Susheela should know better and it is just hoped she would be more careful how she communicates with a riled rakyat.

She had been made the fall guy, or is it fall girl?

Anonymous 2405941458298790: What Monash issued was a non-apology apology. ‘We're merely reminding our students they will be punished for exercising their constitutionally protected rights.’

Shithappens: What utter and complete bollocks - you are a respected institute of higher learning with years of tradition and history, how can you now blame it all on an 'error' in wording for this blatant 'foot in the mouth' mistake?

Dalvik: They might as well close the political studies faculty - to save the registrar's time on sending emails.

In fact, the registrar may need to send a lot of warning emails because in political studies, they are dealing with many 'unlawful' topics, such as democracy, communism, etc.

Anonymous 2419321464077065: I agree with Dalvik. What is the point of teaching the topic if no practical exposure is allowed?

Hibiscus: It is unbelievable that the email is construed by those reading it to be anything else but a threat if it is not meant to be a threat.

Whoever prepared the email and whoever sent it out must come clean, if nothing else, but to set a good example of honesty and accountability to the students studying at the university, by admitting that the email has been meant to be a threat, but regretted the threat.

Surely Monash University, a renowned university worldwide would not have employed someone as its registrar who has a command of the English language that writes something he does not mean.

The registrar should just admit the mistake and take steps to make sure it will not happen again.

Fair Play: Do I feel sorry for Susheela? No. Remember that 'Listen, listen, listen' wonder? As you reap, so shall you sow. As an educationist, Susheela should know what her role is.

Talking about colonisation, local tertiary students are already colonised mentally to the extent they are like robots programmed for only one role - obedience.

Now is Monash University a world-class university? If it is, certainly it has nothing to do with education, at least when it comes to their Malaysia campus.

Southpaw: A university provides a degree major in communications, and ends up having problem in communicating an issue to its students. What an irony!

Dr Spin: As a former Monash student and guest lecturer at the Australian campus, I was appalled to read of this email. We don't expect such mistakes from a reputable university.

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