Outrage Erupts As UiTM Dengkil Students Allegedly Don KKK Robes For “Social Project”
The university has since issued a statement in defense of their students.
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Racial insensitivity exists in every part of the world, although they may be targeted towards different groups in each country. This is why it strikes as odd (but no less offensive) when you see an element of racism that didn’t even originate in the country you live in.
It’s true that racism does not know borders, and for all its different kinds, it is problematic when it spills over from one part of the world to the next. Minorities are typically the main victims of racial discrimination, but what happens when you see a white-supremacist group stomping around a Malaysian university?
Footage of alleged KKK parade in UiTM goes viral
The Ku Klux Klan – or KKK for short – is an American Protestant-led white-supremacist, far right group. The problem with this organisation is that they firmly believe in the natural superiority of lighter-skinned people over other racial groups. Basically, if you’re just one shade darker than white, they think they’re better than you.
This is why it was surprising when a video that went viral on TikTok yesterday (14 April) showed what seems to be a group of UiTM Dengkil students dressed in the distinctive KKK garb, including pointed hoods and crosses, as part of an alleged social project which sparked outrage for glorifying a white supremacist hate group founded in 1865 that targeted black Americans and other minority races.
UITM Dengkil students doing a KKK parade (allegedly) & everyone watching in amusement rather than stopping them.
— J M (@YuenA_9) April 14, 2025
Great time for our Malaysia@PDRMsia @MOHEOfficial pic.twitter.com/q7nbEAYGET
It was allegedly part of a law studies assignment
Although it may have been an assignment or some sort of class project, many on social media have criticised the act, calling out the individuals who participated for being insensitive or ignorant towards what the KKK represents.
One user on Instagram, @miufantome, pointed out the incident as a Law 088 assignment, which is a module on Contemporary Global and Legal Issues. She highlighted that the purpose of the assignment is to spread awareness and not “dress up as white supremacists”.
She also shared a couple of photographs of the group posing in the woods, reminiscent to many photos that were taken of the KKK in the past, accusing them of carrying out the project simply for aesthetic purposes and glorifying the extremist group.
The Instagram accounts @piqqzz and @kimdaesfl, who posted pictures from the KKK photoshoot, have been set to private and cannot be accessed at time of press.
Whistleblower claims to have been threatened by UiTM student
Twitter user @yapxiang shared screenshots he received from a UiTM Dengkil student who explained that law students in the campus were tasked with a Social Project where they are allowed to choose any contemporary issue approved by the lecturer.
However, another student revealed that the lecturer only approved the topic, and was not aware of the act impersonating members of the KKK. The anonymous student expressed their hope that the lecturer’s name would not get dragged in the incident.
Got this message from a uitm dengkil student, it’s beyond disgusting and very disturbing to read.
— yapxiang #PandangKeSabah 🍉 (@yapxiang) April 14, 2025
The perpetrators were alleged of threatening the whistleblower and forcing them to delete photos of the KKK march.
1/3 https://t.co/9YdkyFUnc8 pic.twitter.com/wZmJNPJpju
Meanwhile, Instagram user @miufantome received threats from other users suspected to be UiTM students from the group involved in the social project, who asked to “meet up” because they wanted to “talk” to her, while demanding her to take down the Instagram Stories she uploaded.
UiTM issues statement on the matter
The KKK costumes worn by the UiTM students were part of an assignment to instil critical thinking and raise awareness on human rights issues at the international level, the university said in a statement today (15 April).
“The costumes and visual elements used are intended to help increase understanding and appreciation of the topics presented, as well as provide a more comprehensive picture from a historical and global perspective,” it said.
UiTM stressed that the lecturers and faculty ensured that the presentation was conducted in a controlled manner and based on academic principles, without touching on any sensitivities related to religion, culture, or race.
The university also urged the public to assess the incident through an academic lens and to take into account the context of the situation.
“UiTM also urges all parties to assess incidents like this within an academic framework and not interpret them out of context, in line with the spirit of inclusive and dynamic education that underpins the nation’s higher education system.”
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