Some good news. Certain cultural societies esp. to do with language (and sometimes religion) have regularly complained about resistance on the part of the authorities in public universities in allowing them to be set up or allowing them freedom to conduct their activities in public universities. This latest Star report indicates that restrictions against these cultural societies being set up in our public universities will be a thing of the past.
Some positive and progressive sounding remarks:
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Wahid Samsudin said the move by the Higher Education Ministry would “promote diversity through integration.”
“It is important that we involve all races in different activities like the Chinese Lantern Festival and Ponggal so that we can be educated on each other’s culture,” he said.
Universiti Malaya (UM) deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin concurred that cultural societies were a good way to bring the races together.
“This will be a healthy move as it will make us truly Malaysian,” he said.
Let's hope that there won't be any clampdown on the part of the authorities if and when certain 'incidents' regarding 'sensitive' issues arise.
Does anyone recalled the incident in UPM not long ago? I think there's a lot to learn from it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as i know, there wasn't any disciplinary action taken against those Malay students, when they should be expelled immediately for their racist remarks and behaviors, or even place them under ISA for provoking racial harmony.
Another double standard by the government? Malaysians are truly blind.
Let's pray for a better Malaysia for Malaysian.
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ReplyDeleteok i posted just now, but upon rereading it sounded crap... new one.. :)
ReplyDeletewhile i think it is good and noble and all things right to encourage students to set up language based and cultural based societies in universities, i'd like to protest the race based communities that are prevalent in the residential colleges particularly in University Malaya.
Yes I am a student there and was a resident of 7th college. (I'll be moving out this coming sem due to not being "active" enough) I would like to express my shock when last year, during my first day of orientation, we juniors were split up based on our different races for a meeting. (Chinese, Indian, Malay.. the lain-lain from West Malaysia were clumped together with the Indians) During one of these meetings, we were encouraged(or forced) to join the community and told to stick to one another because no one else from any other race or from any other college would help you.
How does this promote unity or integration?
This was my first time coming face to face with such blatant, college-endorsed segregation. Culture shock it was. Yeah well i figured this is just a microcosm of how everything is split up racially in the big bad world out there.