UM Student Refuses to Apologise, Stands Firm on Criticism of Donations to Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya student Ummi Umairah Bakhit has doubled down on her controversial remarks made during a recent youth leadership summit, insisting that she will neither retract her statement nor offer an apology.

In a statement on Saturday, Ummi Umairah defended her position that donating hard-earned money to political elites was both morally wrong and irrational.

“I stand by my question. I will not apologise. Because donating money earned through hard work to elites is the most foolish and most immoral thing to do,” she said.

The undergraduate, whose question sparked widespread debate during the International Future Young Leaders Summit (iFuture 2026) in Kuala Lumpur, said the response had exceeded her expectations and triggered an important national conversation.

However, she expressed disappointment over what she described as cyberbullying, political obsession and lingering feudal attitudes within society.

According to her, much of the public discourse focused on her use of the phrase “most foolish” and references to former prime minister Najib Razak, while broader issues such as feudalism, corruption, facts and data were largely overlooked.

UM Student

“Calling an act foolish is not a legal offence. It is a strong word used to describe an action that defies reason. Describing an act as foolish is not the same as calling a person foolish,” she said.

During the forum, which also featured UMNO leader Khairy Jamaluddin and Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, she questioned public donations made to help Najib pay a RM50 million court-imposed fine.

Khairy had praised the question and responded that wrongdoing remained wrong, warning that leaders who betray public trust would ultimately be accountable before God.

Ummi Umairah also rejected claims that her activism was selective, citing her participation in demonstrations against former MACC chief Azam Baki and her advocacy against inequality at university.

The viral exchange has since generated intense reactions online, including threatening and abusive comments directed at the student. The three-day iFuture 2026 summit, organised by the Higher Education Department, brought together 1,231 student leaders from across the country.

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