Press Statement

by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): Universiti Putra Malaysia(UPM) should be renamed University Play-Acting Malaysia (UPM) if it does not apologies for staging the resolution to the fracas where 50 students of the UPM Student Council bullied and manhandled 7 students. The 50 bullies acted in a hooligan-like manner that is not befitting of university students by bullying, shouting and chasing out 7 students from the UPM Student Progressive Front (SPF) off the UPM campus cafeteria on Monday. 

That the 50 bullies were Malays whilst the 7 student victims were non-Malays is most unfortunate as it gives a racial colouring to the whole incident. The bullies should be more sensitive to the racial sensitivities involved as it is very painful to watch how the students were victimized as if they have no rights as students or Malaysian citizens. However as the one of the student victims UPM's Students Progressive Front (SPF) coordinator and student Ooi Tze Min, 22 stressed this is not a racial issue but a criminal act in bullying them. Further for the Student Council leaders to behave so shamefully is clearly an early sign of learning to abuse their powers.

DAP expressed shock that UPM appears to be trying to cover-up the whole incident by not taking action against the offenders as well as pretending that the whole issue is resolved with a handshake between a Malay and non-Malay student representatives. This sandiwara is most dishonest and insulting the intelligence of Malaysians because none of the victims were present during the so-called peaceful “resolution”.

Is UPM now pretending that the whole issue is resolved and that no action needs to be taken against these bullies who have not only smeared the image of UPM but also tarnished the image of all university students and Malaysia as an educational center of excellence? UPM should not be wasting time on sandiwara without resolving the main issue but focus on taking action against the 50 offenders to ensure that they have learnt their lesson not to abuse their powers. Such action is necessary not only to ensure justice to the victims but that there is no repeat of such incidents.