Group condemns UUM's bid to silence questions on student's death
“We condemn the statement which is intimidating in nature and is aimed at silencing students who are concerned about Vinosiny’s death, a second-year student,” said Student Progressive Front UUM.
UUM had issued a...
A student group has criticised Universiti Utara Malaysia’s (UUM) move to impose a gag order on the death of its student S Vinosiny, describing it as an act of intimidation.
“We condemn the statement which is intimidating in nature and is aimed at silencing students who are concerned about Vinosiny’s (above) death, a second-year student,” said Student Progressive Front UUM.
UUM had issued a broad gag order against students from speaking publicly, organising or attending any events related to the death of S Vinosiny.
It had threatened to take disciplinary measures against any students who violate the ban.
Vinosiny, 20, had died in her dorm room at UUM’s Sintok campus in Kedah last Saturday.
The accounting student is suspected to have suffered a fatal electric shock, something which the family claims is backed up by injuries on her body and the post-mortem findings.
The student group noted the gag preceded a planned campaign to seek justice for Vinosiny.
“The university’s action is aimed at silencing and threatening students with disciplinary action so that they will not question the death,” it said.
The group said the university should instead focus on uncovering the truth behind the death.
It said the matter is not only to give justice to Vinosiny but also to ensure the same fate does not befall other students.
Threatening disciplinary action
In a separate statement today, DAP Youth (Dapsy) Varsity Affairs director Ho Chi Yang criticised UUM’s deputy vice-chancellor Ahmad Mathadha Mohamed for restricting freedom of speech.
“The statement by (the vice-chancellor) which restricts the freedom of speech of students aims to threaten and intimidate students into stopping them from questioning Vinosiny’s case and seeking out the truth.
“Following the death of a student in the dormitory, suspected to be caused by electric shock, the university management should provide an explanation to the victim’s family and the entire university community based on the principles of transparency and accountability.
“The information provided by UUM at this point is very limited, yet the vice-chancellor chose to threaten the students with disciplinary action so that students no longer question the case of death,” he said.
Ho added that UUM’s move to threaten and intimidate students raises questions on whether the varsity is attempting to escape accountability.
Ho said disciplinary actions were commonly used as a tool in public universities to intimidate and punish students who dared to express their opinions or objections on issues, both on and off-campus.
“In 2014, after the University of Malaya Student Union invited opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to speak on campus, UM Student Affairs division took disciplinary action against the students, including suspending the former union’s president for two semesters.
“In addition, in 2016, the UM Student Affairs also issued a stern warning and imposed fines on four students who raised placards in protest in the 1MDB forum aimed at brainwashing students.
“The BN-Umno government used to often interfere in university affairs and use the Student Affairs divisions to punish students who dared to protest. Unfortunately, the political interference that took place in the past is likely to be repeated in UUM,” he said.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.