UPSI music professor says 7 students practised at home, not 20 at campus
CORONAVIRUS | UPSI's Faculty of Music and Performing Arts Associate Professor Mohd Azam Sulong has denied allegations that 20 students were made to practice for a performance in conjunction with Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad's visit to the university yesterday.
Mohd Azam said contrary to claims by sources who spoke to Malaysiakini yesterday, only seven students were involved in the rehearsal.
CORONAVIRUS | UPSI's Faculty of Music and Performing Arts Associate Professor Mohd Azam Sulong has denied allegations that 20 students were made to practice for a performance in conjunction with Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad's visit to the university yesterday.
Mohd Azam said contrary to claims by sources who spoke to Malaysiakini yesterday, only seven students were involved in the rehearsal.
"They stay in the same house in Tanjong Malim. They had practised at their rented house on April 3, and not at the campus as was alleged," the professor said in an email to Malaysiakini.
The source that spoke to the news portal yesterday did not state where the practice took place but noted they had been practising a week before Noraini's visit.
The performance had been cancelled, allegedly at the last minute.
UPSI vice-chancellor Mohammad Shatar Sabran said the performance was cancelled after discussions with the Health Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry.
Mohd Azam, in his email, expressed his gratitude to Noraini for making the trip to visit UPSI to get updated on the wellbeing of students who are stranded due to the movement control order.
He also urged Malaysians to be more positive in light of the current crisis.
Meanwhile UPSI student council leader Mohamad Faiz Farhan Abdul Rahman voiced displeasure, claiming that the initial Malaysiakini article had projected a negative image of the minister and its student body.
He also emphasised that the initial plan to perform the song Kau Pejuangku which was written specifically by UPSI, only involved seven students, and was cancelled before the visit.
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