Khaled Nordin condemns graduate’s protest against UM, says university only has itself to blame
JOHOR BARU, Oct 15 — Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin today condemned the actions of a Universiti Malaya (UM) graduate who protested against its vice-chancellor Datuk Abdul Rahim Hashim.
He said the protest by Wong Yan Ke, a UM engineering graduate, during the university’s 59th convocation ceremony yesterday was contrary to the values, manners and morals of Asians.
“My concerns that I have voiced regarding the organising of the Malay Dignity Congress have come true.
“UM and the public institutes of higher learning that were associated with organising the Malay Dignity Congress would undermine the university's authority to a level that is difficult to defend,” said Mohamed Khaled in a statement here today.
The 60-year-old former Johor menteri besar said UM's action has sparked protest, objection and ridicule that has tarnished its good name where it would continue to haunt the university if there were no effort to clear it.
As a UM alumnus, he urged the university's top leadership to come forward and convince the country to reaffirm its national mission.
“UM, as a national higher learning institute, should be free and stand firm with its intellectual tradition and become the heart of Malaysia forever,” said Mohamed Khaled, who was also the former Higher Education Minister under the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration from 2008 to 2013.
Earlier today, UM issued a two-page statement regarding Wong's solo protest yesterday at UM's 59th convocation.
While it did not name the student who carried out the protest, the university said the civil engineering graduate had carried a placard with the words Undur VC (Step down VC) and Tolak Rasis (Reject Racist) and shouted Ini tanah Malaysia (This is Malaysian land) onstage when receiving the scroll.
Slamming Wong's actions, UM said the protest was in breach of protocol and ceremony and had tarnished the university's name.
Calling the protest rude and unacceptable, UM said it had lodged a police report over the incident and will be leaving it to the authorities to investigate and take further steps.
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