‘King of Africa’ billboard sparks racism claims at university started by Chinese-Malaysian
- Former staff and students at Malaysia’s Limkokwing University have spoken out about alleged discrimination amid global Black Lives Matter protests
- The incident has fuelled discussions of discrimination against ethnic minorities and those of African descent
Limkokwing University, named for its founder Lim Kok Wing, came under fire after former students and staff took to social media to accuse it of having racist policies. The furore was sparked after a photo of a billboard depicting the university’s flamboyant founder as the ‘King of Africa’ went viral, with a petition calling for its removal.
One Twitter user asked why Lim, who was surrounded by African students in the photo, was presenting himself as the “saviour” of African people, adding that he was perpetuating a “negative stereotype of Africans not having access to education”.
The institution, which has satellite campuses in Botswana and Lesotho, touts itself as a global university, with students from 117 countries.
The university soon apologised, saying on Twitter it had taken down the hoarding and did not “condone any discriminatory acts against any particular race”. It said it was “proud” to have students from 38 African countries on its main campus.
