“My stance remains unchanged” - UM Student Says She Will Not Apologise for Comments on Donations to Najib

A female student from a local university went viral last week after making a bold statement about public donations to former prime minister Najib Razak.

The student representative from Universiti Malaya (UM), Ummi Umairah Bakhit, raised the issue during a dialogue session featuring former minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL).

Image Credit: TV Sarawak

While discussing several high-profile corruption-related controversies in Malaysia, Ummi Umairah also questioned why members of the public were willing to contribute to a fundraising campaign for Najib following his conditional pardon.

“The stupidest thing I have watched in my entire life is people donating to our former prime minister, Najib Razak, someone who is linked to the globally known 1MDB corruption scandal and corruption-related offences.”

Since then, Ummi Umairah's statement has gone viral online. While many social media users praised her for being "brave", others criticised her remarks, describing them as "rude".

"My stance remains unchanged"

In an Instagram post, Ummi Umairah addressed the reactions she has received since her statement went viral.

The student stressed that although she was disappointed to witness cyberbullying, political obsession, feudalistic mindsets, and emotional loyalty that blinds people to reason, her stance remains unchanged. She added that she will continue to stand for integrity, equality, justice, and the fight against corruption.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by @ummiiumairh

“Calling an act stupid isn’t illegal. It’s a strong word for an act that defies belief. Critical thinking is fading. People read, but don’t think, research, or understand. Context gets twisted. Calling an act stupid is not the same as calling a person stupid," she shared.

“This level of comprehension, this feudalistic mindset, this fallacious rebuttal, it’s deeply concerning.”

At the end of her post, Ummi Umairah also emphasised that she would not apologise for her remarks and stood by her statement. She added that donating hard-earned money to elitists is the “stupidest” and “most immoral” thing a person can do.

She also expressed hope that more people would find the courage to speak up about corruption and integrity without fear.

Featured Image Credit: Malaysiakini, Kosmo!