UMS told: Lodge report on students’ claims
Published on: Sunday, June 16, 2024
By: Crystal E Hermenegildus
“We should take a firm stance now. I have already advised rally goers last week to act rationally and understand facts accurately. I do not want the image of the ministry or UMS to be tarnished by any party attempting to exploit this issue for their organisational or political interests,” Mustapha said.
Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Mustapha Sakmud urged Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to lodge a report against claims that it misused funds to tackle its water supply issues.
He said this must be done since the claim was highlighted in a protest by a group of UMS students and NGOs at a rally “Kami Mahu Air” in front of Menara Kinabalu, on Friday.
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“These are serious allegations against UMS management, as this affects their credibility. It’s time to take action,” Mustapha said, after the Madani Belia programme at Dewan Canselory, here.
Mustapha, who is also a Sepanggar MP, believed there were no elements of misappropriation and that the funds were used properly by UMS to resolve the campus water issue and obtain an additional 1 million litres per day capacity of alternative water supply.
“We should take a firm stance now. I have already advised rally goers last week to act rationally and understand facts accurately. I do not want the image of the ministry or UMS to be tarnished by any party attempting to exploit this issue for their organisational or political interests,” he said.
Among the accusations highlighted by the group was the RM 5 million allocation from the Federal Government, which they claim was not being used accordingly, leading to the existing water supply woes, Mustapha said.
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“We do not want the RM 5 million issue to become a political tool or be misunderstood by students, leading to false accusations against the State Government,” he said.
It was reported that the group refused to move even after Deputy Chief Minister Shahelmy Yahya offered to receive their memorandum and insisted on meeting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
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“It was a bit disappointing and a bit excessive. Our struggle is to help resolve the water issue, and if handing over the memorandum helps achieve that, just hand it over.
“They should have just handed over the memorandum and not stay overnight waiting, as it sends a rather negative message.
“As for the presence of others (politicians and NGOs) during the rally, we do not prohibit students from voicing their rights, but we do not want them to be used by any party for political or personal interests.”
Mustapha also advised students to mind their manners and language, as well as to be rational when protesting.
He suggested organising the Malaysian Youth Madani forum to invite students involved in the rally to send representatives and hold discussions with the parties involved to give them a better understanding of the water issue.
Meanwhile, the students called off their protest outside Menara Kinabalu on Saturday morning.
#KamiMahuAir Sabah rally secretariat coordinator Mohd Norhamdin Nordin said they hoped to hand over their memorandum to the CM personally but their expectations were unmet.
“It is now 7am, marking 17 hours since students began gathering in front of Menara Kinabalu, the state administration centre.
“The #KamiMahuAir group decided not to hand over the memorandum and we ask him (CM) to find it himself on social media,” he said.
Norhamdin claimed there was no direct involvement from political parties. On the nine people detained without documents during the gathering, he claimed they were not illegal immigrants but stateless individuals.
“They are a teacher and students at the ‘Sekolah Alternatif Teluk Layang’ (alternative learning centre),” he said.
“Sekolah Alternatif” is an educational project started by a group of UMS undergraduates in 2015.
Its mission is to eradicate illiteracy among undocumented children in Sabah. Currently, several such centres in the State are run by NGOs.
Norhamdin said the student movement expressed solidarity with the detained individuals and would continue to follow the case closely.
“We will not only address water issues but also issues affecting the public,” he said.
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