Use subtle ways to assist students', says PAGE after B40 student shamed

SHAH ALAM - An education group has reprimanded a lecturer for criticising a B40 category student for not owning a laptop, stating there are subtle ways to tell a student to get a gadget or look at avenues to help them.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairperson Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said there are subtle ways for a lecturer to assist students who are facing financial problems.

“The national education philosophy has a value system but it appears lacking from the learned professor. The finesse of the Malay langauge was missing, especially empathy for the B40 student,” she told Sinar Daily.

She was commenting on a viral video that saw a lecturer’s telling off a student for not having a computer during an online lecture. The lecturer had said she did not like to teach students from the B40 category as they did not seem to show interest in their studies.

“If you have a sister and she has a gold bracelet, tell her to sell that and buy you a computer. You can’t learn properly when you have no computer,” she was heard in the video. She also said that it only costs RM800 to get a computer.

"That's why I can't sit with B40 people. They’re thinking more of other matters than their lessons,” she had said before telling him to turn off his camera so she cannot see him again.

The video was viewed over 900,000 times and shared by more than 50,000 Twitter users before the original account was removed yesterday.

The student had earlier told the lecturer that his father was unemployed and his mother had died.

However, Noor Azimah said Malaysians are generous when it comes to education as a lecturer in another public university has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the students who can't afford laptops, the response has been overwhelming.

“Therefore, students should not hesitate to seek assistance since there are many avenues for them to do so. A National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) should include loan for a laptop,” she said.