A Universiti Malaya (UM) student was slapped with a show-cause letter for allegedly sending an e-mail pertaining to the case of academic Prof Dr Edmund Terence Gomez.

In the letter dated Sept 6, third-year accounting student Wong Teck Chi was given two weeks to explain the matter.

The letter, inked by chief assistant registrar (student affairs and alumni) R Ambihapathy, stated that a complaint/report was received regarding the e-mail from the university's legal and administration service on June 17.

"After their investigation, they found the e-mail was sent out by you (Wong).

"In the event that we do not receive any response from you, further action will be taken," stated the letter, which has been posted on the student's weblog.

The letter did not specify the e-mail in question but it is believed that it is the one sent by Wong in his capacity as the UM Association of New Youth (Umany) internal affairs vice-president.

Copies of the e-mail, in Bahasa Melayu, were sent to the UM campus authorities and news organisations. Among others, it had criticised the university's manner in handling the Gomez case.

Timing questioned

Meanwhile, an Umany representative questioned the timing of the letter, which has been issued just before the commencement of the campus polls.

It is learnt that Wong is planing to contest in the upcoming elections.

"Why now? The Gomez's issue has passed three months ago," said the student, who requested anonymity.

He believes that the letter is being used as an excuse for the university authorities to gather information about preparations for the polls.

"We understand that the student affairs department officials have contacted Wong several times and asked him to meet with the officials, purportedly because of the letter but we think it is their attempts to find out how's our preparation for the campus elections," he added.

(Students are prohibited from making media statements under the restrictive Universities and University Colleges Act without prior written permission from the vice-chancellor.)

Gomez, a lecturer with the economics faculty, had locked horns with the university when it denied his leave application to take up a United Nation's appointment in Geneva.

This led the academic to resign but Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi later intervened, revoked the resignation and approved the leave.