UUM student dies in hostel, father demands answers
A 20-year-old accounting student from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, Kedah is suspected to have died from an electric shock in her hostel room last Saturday.
S Vinosiny, who was in the fourth semester of her accounting and information system studies, returned to campus a week before the tragedy.
Her father R Sivakumar, 56, confirmed the matter when contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday.
“Previously she studied online at home because of the pandemic. I only sent her back to the campus on May 14 and now she has left us forever,” he said.
Sivakumar claimed that when the university management called him at 3pm last Saturday, he was only informed that his daughter fell and became unconscious.
“They were just being vague and did not tell me what really happened. Only after I asked if my daughter had any signs of life, did they admit she had passed away.
“Her hostel room is sealed now. I did not get to check the conditions there. Even her phone was still locked in the room. The police only passed me her wallet and identification card,” he added.
The family conducted the funeral ceremony in Klang, Selangor, yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, Sivakumar said he will fight for the truth about his daughter's death as there was no clear explanation given by the university management or the police.
He revealed that his daughter’s body had obvious burn marks on the face and right hand, and even two of her fingers turned a purple-blackish colour when the doctor showed him the remains at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah in Alor Setar, Kedah.
The late S Vinosiny
‘I just want the truth’
Sivakumar said the doctor who conducted the post-mortem also told him the cause of death was electrocution.
“I told them (university management) that I just wanted to know the truth. I want to know how my daughter died. That’s all. All they said was ask me to wait for further investigation. In fact, the doctor had already told me the cause of death.
“It is regrettable that the university did not say things clearly when they notified me about my daughter. Now that the tragedy happened, I just want to find out the truth. I want to know the source (of the electrocution). I do not want any hanky-panky things to happen.
“I do not want other students to encounter the same incident. I can be sure that there is something wrong with the university facilities, but will the university admit this?
“I will fight for the truth. We need to know the truth,” he stressed.
Berita Harian quoted Kubang Pasu district police chief Rodzi Abu Hassan as saying the police are still awaiting the official post-mortem report on Vinosiny's death.
He reportedly said initial investigations found the student is believed to have suffered from a seizure, although the chemical report is still pending.
Help the family
Meanwhile, UUM issued a statement this morning, expressing their condolences to Vinosiny and her family.
However, the university claimed the cause of death remains unknown as they are still waiting for the full post-mortem report from the hospital.
UUM said it will help ease the burden of the family by giving the appropriate assistance.
The statement was issued by the university's corporate communication department and then posted by the student affairs department on their Facebook page.
Malaysiakini has contacted UUM for further explanation.
This incident was first revealed by one of the UUM student groups, the Student Progressive Front UUM (SPF UUM).
No official statement
In a statement yesterday evening, the SPF UUM said there was no official statement from the university since Vinosiny’s death on Saturday.
They urged the university to reveal the details of the incident to prevent unnecessary speculation among the students.
“This tragedy cannot be seen as a single incident as this is a public issue that involves students' life and safety. Sources told that the cause of the incident was electrocution, therefore it may be related to the dilapidated campus facilities endangering the students.
“If the incident involves any negligence by a particular party, the responsible party must be identified to avoid a recurrence of the tragedy. The safety and lives of students should not be (overlooked),” said SPF UUM.
Meanwhile, on May 15, the Universiti Malaya Students Union (UMSU) also revealed that a fire broke out at the university’s seventh residential college after the management failed to take action on a damaged fan report.
The student union has condemned the university management for ignoring student welfare and safety and demanded that someone must take responsibility and step down.
‘I just want the truth’
Sivakumar said the doctor who conducted the post-mortem also told him the cause of death was electrocution.
“I told them (university management) that I just wanted to know the truth. I want to know how my daughter died. That’s all. All they said was ask me to wait for further investigation. In fact, the doctor had already told me the cause of death.
“It is regrettable that the university did not say things clearly when they notified me about my daughter. Now that the tragedy happened, I just want to find out the truth. I want to know the source (of the electrocution). I do not want any hanky-panky things to happen.
“I do not want other students to encounter the same incident. I can be sure that there is something wrong with the university facilities, but will the university admit this?
“I will fight for the truth. We need to know the truth,” he stressed.
Berita Harian quoted Kubang Pasu district police chief Rodzi Abu Hassan as saying the police are still awaiting the official post-mortem report on Vinosiny's death.
He reportedly said initial investigations found the student is believed to have suffered from a seizure, although the chemical report is still pending.
Help the family
Meanwhile, UUM issued a statement this morning, expressing their condolences to Vinosiny and her family.
However, the university claimed the cause of death remains unknown as they are still waiting for the full post-mortem report from the hospital.
UUM said it will help ease the burden of the family by giving the appropriate assistance.
The statement was issued by the university's corporate communication department and then posted by the student affairs department on their Facebook page.
Malaysiakini has contacted UUM for further explanation.
This incident was first revealed by one of the UUM student groups, the Student Progressive Front UUM (SPF UUM).
No official statement
In a statement yesterday evening, the SPF UUM said there was no official statement from the university since Vinosiny’s death on Saturday.
They urged the university to reveal the details of the incident to prevent unnecessary speculation among the students.
“This tragedy cannot be seen as a single incident as this is a public issue that involves students' life and safety. Sources told that the cause of the incident was electrocution, therefore it may be related to the dilapidated campus facilities endangering the students.
“If the incident involves any negligence by a particular party, the responsible party must be identified to avoid a recurrence of the tragedy. The safety and lives of students should not be (overlooked),” said SPF UUM.
Meanwhile, on May 15, the Universiti Malaya Students Union (UMSU) also revealed that a fire broke out at the university’s seventh residential college after the management failed to take action on a damaged fan report.
The student union has condemned the university management for ignoring student welfare and safety and demanded that someone must take responsibility and step down.
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kt comments:
There can be no cruelty worse than that experienced by a parent griefing the death of his/her child, or burying one.
The problem really is the "quality" of the leaders we have in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteNow we come to know of the poor state of the facilities and worse, no effort to improve things by the university management.
The reality is that we have incompetents who are in positions of authority and these people may not have the necessary qualification to lead.
Why have we come to such a situation? I believe our expectations and standards have been much degraded through years of compromises.
Ultimately, nothing will come out of this tragedy.
And I agree with KT - there is no greater pain than a parent having to bury his/her child. I grieve for the parents of S Vinosiny.