KUALA LUMPUR – Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) vice-chancellor Massila Kamalrudin should apologise for allegedly telling students to keep their romantic relationships with academic staff secret to bring an end to the issue, says Khoo Poay Tiong.
The Kota Melaka MP also called on the university to apologise for defending Massila’s remarks after it issued a statement on November 2, where it said the speech was taken out of context as the video was edited. In its statement, the university explained that Massila was advising students to maintain good conduct and avoid unwanted situations.
Khoo said that Massila’s alleged remarks on romantic relationships with faculty members were troubling as it is against the professionalism ethics practised in a public university and therefore warranted an apology.
“An apology does not necessarily mean all of her contributions to the university and the country will be forgotten.
“Instead, it would present a credible leadership from her and become an example to many youths out there that admission of a mistake is not a sign of weakness but instead signalling her courage as a leader,” said the DAP lawmaker.
Khoo then trained his gun towards the university, where he lambasted the campus’ decision to defend Masilla by stating the remarks were taken out of context.
He said that as a respected university in the country, UTeM should have asked Massila to apologise and admit her mistake as it would have been easier for the public to accept rather than trying to prolong the issue by “explaining” the remarks.
The university, he added, should have taken the “moral high ground” by acknowledging the mistake made by its vice-chancellor and assure the public that such an incident would not repeat itself in the future.
“(By) defending Massila’s remarks, (it) indirectly indicates that the university was not serious about maintaining professionalism at a higher education institution and could tarnish the university’s image even more.
“The lack of seriousness may discourage students from enrolling at the university, as professionalism is not being prioritised by the university management,” cautioned Khoo.
According to a YouTube video which has since been taken down, Massila allegedly told students that “if they intend to flirt even with the dean, they should only do so outside campus.” She was also accused of saying it was fine to flirt with female lecturers, adding that relationships “are in god’s hands”.
Massila’s alleged remarks drew brickbats from the academic circle, with the academic group Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak) reportedly urging her to resign over the issue.
According to Free Malaysia Today, Gerak said that such a speech is out of place as it does not serve the purpose of motivating and preparing new students to overcome the challenges awaiting them in their studies. – November 5, 2024