Universiti Malaya (UM) is known to be Malaysia’s top higher education institution and is currently ranked number 60 globally. Each institution has its own set of rules that all students must abide by, and of course, UM is no different.
Earlier this year, the university implemented its new dress code — a set of rules that is revised annually. In the latest version of the dress code, UM stated that all campus staff have the right to stop and give students write-ups for transgressing the rules. This caused disquiet among college-goers as they felt as if they weren’t free or independent anymore.
Over the weekend (3rd November), a foreign student was berated by campus security for wearing shorts to the school’s library. A UM student association account, University of Malaya of New Youth (UMANY) gave a statement of what allegedly happened and even shared their two cents.
“The student‘s choice to enter the library in shorts was indeed a violation of rules, the focus of the incident should not be on what the student wore but rather on the aggressive behaviour of the security staff,” was what they mentioned in their Instagram post. Reportedly, the staff was treating the foreigner rudely, even after they had covered up. Netizens shared their mixed thoughts on the issue, with some agreeing the rules were too harsh and unnecessary since it was a public space, while others blamed the alleged victim for not following the dress code in the first place.
All in all, campus dress codes aren’t something newly introduced, and we should always try our best to abide rules that are in place. We hope this issue will be resolved peacefully.
Source: Instagram
May contributed to this article.
