UiTM defends student's KKK 'cosplay', says part of academic work

Summary

• UiTM says a viral video clip showing a group of its students donning Ku Klux Klan outfits was from an assignment about global human rights issues.

• In a statement, the university says the students were doing an academic presentation on a subject called ‘Contemporary Global and Legal Issues’, where they chose a topic about racial discrimination.

• UiTM urges the public to see the activity from an academic perspective and not to interpret it out of its original context.

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A viral video showing a group of (Universiti Teknologi Mara) UiTM students dressed in Ku Klux Klan (KKK) outfits was from an assignment aimed at raising awareness about global human rights issues, the university said.

In a statement today, UiTM said the video clip was recorded during an academic presentation by students at its Centre of Foundation Studies in Dengkil, Selangor, who were taking a subject called “Contemporary Global and Legal Issues”.

"The assignment was aimed at encouraging critical thinking and students' awareness on global human rights issues.

"During the session, the students involved had chosen to present issues related to racial discrimination and hatred based on skin colours, which are among the violations of human rights that occur in certain countries.

"The costumes and visual elements were used to help increase their understanding and perceptiveness towards the topic, and to give an overall picture from global and historical perspectives.

"And the visual approach was a part of the pedagogy technique used to support high impact presentation in the classroom, in line with the course's objectives that promotes analytic thinking and civic awareness among students," it said.

‘Academic, not racist’

Adding further, UiTM said the faculty and lecturers involved had ensured the presentation was held in a controlled setting and purely academic-based - without any element that could hurt any religion, race or culture.

It also urged the public to look at the incident from an academic perspective and not to interpret it outside its original context.

Since yesterday, a short video clip of the activity has been making its rounds on social media.

Netizens have criticised the students for allegedly glorifying KKK, a “white power” group known for its brutal attacks and murders against people of colour in the US.

Some have also called for authorities and UiTM to take strong action against the students.

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