UiTM vice-chancellor Mohd Azraai Kassim said the organisers had contacted the two individuals directly to take part in the Piala Tun Razak debate tournament.

“The participation of the two individuals in the debate competition was without the knowledge of the university.

“UiTM views the religious and cultural sensitivities of the various communities in Malaysia seriously, and will not compromise on students who try to disrupt or belittle the matter,” he said in a statement last night.

Azraai said the participant, Mohammad Aidil Ali, is a former UiTM student whose student status has been revoked, while Iyad Zakiy Amal is an off-campus student currently on special leave.

He said UiTM would conduct a fair and thorough internal investigation before taking any action.

The debate went viral on the social media over its allegedly sensitive religious themes.

Yesterday, the education ministry said its investigation found that Aidil and Iyad did not discuss or obtain the views of Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak (SDAR), Seremban, Negeri Sembilan where the debate was held.