UiTM: Malaysian university defends classroom presentation showing students in KKK robes, says part of 'academic project'

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) said the video, which has gone viral and sparked public outrage, recorded part of an academic presentation by foundation students from its Dengkil campus, about 24 miles from capital city Kuala Lumpur, for the Contemporary Global and Legal Issues course.

The university said: “The assignment aimed to encourage critical thinking and raise students’ awareness of human rights issues at the international level.”

The university added that the students chose to present on the topic of racial discrimination and hate crimes based on skin colour, issues that have been recorded as human rights violations in several countries.

“The costumes and visual elements used were intended to increase the audience’s understanding and appreciation of the topic being discussed, as well as to provide a clearer picture from both historical and global perspectives.

In a video that has been viewed over 3 million times on X (formerly Twitter), the students are seen wearing white robes and pointed hoods fashioned from party hats, while some can be seen holding crucifixes.

UiTM stressed that the visual presentation was part of a pedagogical approach designed to support high-impact learning in the classroom, aligned with the course objectives to promote analytical thinking and student awareness on sensitive issues.

“The visual approach used was part of a teaching method that supports high-impact learning in the classroom, in line with the objectives of the course to encourage analytical thinking and raise awareness among students,” the university said.

The university also said that lecturers and faculty members responsible for overseeing the presentation ensured that the session was conducted in a controlled and guided manner, based on academic principles without touching on any sensitivities related to religion, culture, or race.

“For the record, there was no element of insult towards any party mentioned or discussed throughout the presentation session,” the university said.

The university has faced widespread condemnation for allowing such actions to take place on campus. One user wrote: “The KKK is not an aesthetic for you to make a photoshoot with,” while another called the display “beyond disgusting.”

What is Ku Klux Klan (KKK)?

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a white supremacist group founded in 1865 in the southern United States after the Civil War, aiming to maintain white dominance and uphold slavery-era racial hierarchies.

Revived in 1915 by William J Simmons after the release of Birth of a Nation, the Klan rapidly expanded, reaching a peak of 5 million members in the mid-1920s.

Its membership was limited to white Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) and it targeted Black people, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Mexicans. The Klan was notorious for violent acts, including lynchings, often carried out with impunity and sometimes with the support of local law enforcement and judicial systems.

Public and political fear of losing southern white voters hindered efforts to curb the group’s influence. A major scandal in 1925 involving Indiana Klan leader David Stephenson led to a sharp decline in membership, which dropped to a few hundred thousand by 1928.