Universiti Malaya said today that it was aware of the police report made by a medical undergraduate who accused it of preventing her from taking her exam because she has yet to receive her coronavirus vaccine.
The university said that it was taking the police report seriously and was also looking into the matter. Nik Farah Ellisha Mohd Razif, a 22-year-old medical student, had claimed that she was barred from taking exams on June 8 and 9 after she failed to book a vaccine appointment in time.
“UM’s commitment in combating the COVID-19 epidemic can also be seen through the contribution of medical and scientific experts in various aspects,” the university’s statement said. “This includes the role of the UM medical center as the COVID-19 treatment center and the UM as the COVID-19 vaccination center.”
After a request to postpone her examination got rejected, Nik Farah reported the matter to the police at the Brickfields Police Headquarters yesterday, accompanied by Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan.
The student initially rejected the vaccine but eventually changed her mind after being pressured by the institution, she said. Nik Farah did not disclose why she initially rejected the vaccine.
“After being forced by the university, I finally agreed to get the vaccine of my chosen brand and I informed the university about my decision in April,” she told reporters yesterday.
“As the examination date is on June 8 and 9, I could not get an appointment date for the vaccination and the university barred me from sitting for the important examination and asked me to leave the hall,” she added.
Nadzim also commented on the matter, saying that the university should educate instead of forcing its students to take the vaccine.
“This is a medical student and she understands the pros and cons of the vaccine. Thus, when she rejected the vaccine, she understood her risks,” he said
To date, over 13 million Malaysians have registered for their vaccine and a total of 3,275,194 have completed their vaccine doses.
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