SHAH ALAM – Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has lodged a police report after its “chronological report” regarding a case of its contract lecturer berating a B40 student went viral on social media.
UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Roziah Mohd Janor said they lodged a police report today to protect their students and staff.
“Actually, I understand the situation. We live in the era of social media but, at the same time, we have laws. Some information is confidential (cannot be shared).
“If we say confidential information, it means the recipient of the report, regardless of whether via online or e-mail, should rightly respect it. It cannot be shared with anyone outside of the circular,” she told reporters when met after the Education Creativity Week 2022 at UiTM Puncak Alam, near here, yesterday.
Roziah said the three-page report was aimed at enabling UiTM to report in detail on the matter that transpired and provide clarity to those who were not at the scene of the incident.
“We did not share (the chronological report) but we sent it to the relevant parties. I don’t know how the leakage took place... Regardless, we have policies and law,” she said.
She added that UiTM was to bring the issue to the University Board of Directors’ special meeting last night, chaired by Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Ibrahim Abu Shah and involving representatives of the Higher Education Ministry.
“God willing, a decision is expected to be made and we will relay it to the ministry,” she said.
However, UiTM yesterday denied the leaked report on the lecturer berating a B40 student, saying it is the “wrong document” with “incorrect information”.
It was reported that UiTM’s Communications Department said several news websites reported on “the wrong document” over the lecturer’s alleged remarks.
“The wrong document was referred to, and it was not an official or public document. Please hold off until the official statement is released.”
“As of this hour, we have not made any official announcements in this regard. Investigation is still ongoing,” a spokesman was quoted as saying.
On Wednesday, a video recording of a lecturer mocking her student during an online class for not having a laptop went viral on social media.
In the video, the lecturer was also heard telling the student to ask his sister to sell her gold bracelet to buy a laptop for him.
Following the incident, the aforementioned internal document also went viral. – Bernama, April 1, 2022
