Ex-student leaders slam uni, student union over suicide deaths

Summary

• Fourteen former TAR UMT student leaders have demanded resignations from university officials and the student council over alleged failure to address mental health issues and bullying after two student suicides.

• They called for stronger, accessible support services, a zero-tolerance policy on bullying, and accountability from leadership, rejecting what they described as token gestures.

Former student leaders at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) have launched a broadside against the university’s management and student union over the recent deaths of two students by suicide.

They demanded that the head of Student Counselling Services and the head of the Student Affairs Department step down for not doing enough to address mental health issues and bullying on campus.

It said the services provided by the university are “inadequate, inaccessible, and ineffective” and need to adapt.

This includes punishing bullies and those who enable their behaviour.

“Outreach is not a simple email sent to students, or a social media post saying ‘we care about you.’

“We need active, not passive, mechanisms. Instead of asking students to come look for you, they will not. Go to them. Change your methods,” said the group of 14 TAR UMT alumnae, who also previously held various positions in the TAR UMT student representative council (SRC).

The statement yesterday is signed by Wong Yew Lee, Ong Yee Hong, Hoon Zhen Zhi, Siew Yan Shan, Tiew Pui Thin, Yap Wen Ming, Tan Wee Hong, Chin Sheng Nan, Wong Yan Zhi, Ho Yan Shao, Ng Kai Ghi, Ong Huai Yi, Lim Ming Shien, and Lee Zhi Xian.

They are also calling for the immediate resignation of the head of the SRC, claiming that the council has become “an extension of management” in exchange for various perks, instead of holding them accountable.

“If the SRC cannot hold management accountable, then it is complicit – and by choosing silence, it stands as an enabler of the very system that harms students,” they said.

Zero-tolerance policy

Apart from the resignations, the group is also calling for student support services to be reformed, including a third-party 24/7 helpline, institutionalised suicide prevention measures, and stopping what the group deems to be “meaningless activity” in response to the crisis.

“Webinars do not stop suicides, especially due to (bullying),” they added.

They demanded a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and harassment and transparent disciplinary action.

They also called for the university’s leadership to be accountable and not merely offer “empty condolences” for the deaths.

“One suicide is already too many. Each death is not just a tragedy, but a consequence of negligence, silence, and inaction.

“If the system continues to be in this state of failure, the next tragedy is just a matter of time,” they said.

Malaysiakini has contacted the university as well as its SRC for comment.

‘Be more supportive’

As for parents, the 14 former student leaders urged them to be more supportive of their children’s growth and understanding of their struggles.

“No parent should ever have to bury their child because of a university’s negligence and society’s obsession with grades.

“A degree is meaningless if the journey to earn it destroys the student,” they said.

The statement came after two of the university’s students died by suicide in separate incidents in a span of less than 24 hours on Wednesday.

Following the first death, the deceased’s father Jeff Ho had lodged a police report claiming that bullying may have played a role in his 22-year-old daughter’s death.

The other death involved a 21-year-old.

Last night, police Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus reportedly said police are investigating both cases under Section 507B of the Penal Code, while an autopsy has found no sign of foul play.

Section 507B criminalises threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intended to cause harassment, distress, fear, or alarm. It is punishable with up to three years' imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.

Police are in the midst of obtaining witness statements as well as the victim’s profile and background, he said.

Suicide is a complex phenomenon with multiple contributing factors, but it is preventable, and recovery is possible. If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone - please reach out for support:

• Talian Kasih Hotline: 15999 (Call) / +6019 26 15999 (WhatsApp)

• Health Ministry’s Talian Heal: 15555 (8am - 12am daily)

• The Befrienders Hotline: 03-76272929

• Agape Counselling Centre Malaysia Hotline: 03-77855955 or 03-77810800

• Life Line Association Malaysia Hotline: 03-42657995

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