UM Student Group Claims Foreign Student Could Face Expulsion For Wearing Shorts To Library
The group has decried the university's dress code, claiming it has been used to restrict and intimidate students.
By May Vin Ang — 07 Nov 2024, 04:12 PM
A student association at Universiti Malaya has urged the university to abolish its dress code after a foreign student was reprimanded for wearing shorts to the library
In an Instagram post on Sunday, 3 November, the University of Malaya Association of New Youth (UMANY) alleged that the international student from China was shouted at by security and had his identification card confiscated.
"Despite covering his legs with long pants upon leaving, the security personnel continued to treat him rudely," the association added.
It also claimed that the student could be "put at risk of expulsion" because the incident — deemed a violation of school rules — would be reported to his faculty.
While UMANY acknowledged that the student had violated the dress code, it argued that "the focus of the incident should be on the aggressive behaviour of the security staff"
"This reflects how the conservative and authoritarian nature of UM's dress code is wholly inconsistent with the quality expected from Malaysia's premier institution," it said.
The student association believes that the dress code has given the university staff excessive authority over what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate attire, especially within a multicultural university campus, where they believe trust should be placed in students as independent and mature individuals.
"While many within the administration see the dress code as necessary to respect the feelings of the Muslim community, we question why wearing shorts in a non-formal setting would be seen as disrespectful.
"The purpose of education is to cultivate students' capacity for embracing perspectives, rather than allowing one to prevail," it opined.
UMANY said it believes the dress code, which was recently implemented in April this year, has been used to unnecessarily restrict and intimidate students
"If the administration truly wants to cultivate critical thinkers, it must create a free, open, and diverse campus.
"As long as we do not disrupt public order or infringe on anyone's rights, we should have the freedom to express ourselves," it wrote.
SAYS has reached out to the university for comment on the issue but has yet to receive a response.
