Head Writer: I would like to preface this article by saying that in my two (or three, I guess) years of being in MUSA I have never seen such a messy Monash Student Council Meeting and I hope I never have to sit through another one of these again.
If any of you remember my first MUSA DID WHAT of 2023 (and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t, I sure as hell can’t remember what I’ve written sometimes), but the previous positions that were filled in by interims or left uncontested will now be going into the by-elections! Here are the following positions that will be contested:
- MUISS Media x2
- MUISS CRO x2
- SOB Female Rep
- SOIT Male & Female Rep
- SOP Male & Female Rep
- SOMHS Male Rep
For all those interested in a potential career in MUSA, do head over to their official Instagram page @musaofficial.page to learn more about the by-election process, as the information will be uploaded by the end of Week 5! No.
A HOT MESS FR.
Now, let’s actually get into why we’re all here.
A lot of students may be wondering why there was such a rushed and unexpected MSC livestream, with the post only being uploaded on the day itself (27/3/2023). Unfortunately, this was due to the issuance of not one, not three but eight warning letters (three to the President and five to the General Secretary) which required the immediate attention of the entire MSC. And so we trudged to the Plenary Theatre at 8.30pm, whispers and speculation abound as we filed into our seats. (Not to mention it was RIDICULOUSLY HOT jeez).
Due to the President’s absence, the meeting was chaired by the Vice Presidents: Raj and Kirara. The first three warning letters of the night were issued to MUSA 2023’s president: Ali Rashwan, all of which were issued to him by the General Secretary.
FIRST WARNING LETTER [LINK]
This warning letter was issued by the General Secretary, Urooj Fatima on the account of his failure to obtain prior approval of the MUSA by-elections blueprint which plunged MUSA into a constitutional crisis and had to be resolved as soon as possible.
SECOND WARNING LETTER [LINK]
In light of the rushed announcement of this round’s MSC, the General Secretary also saw it fit to issue the President a warning letter on the grounds that:
“notice of MSC must be announced and published to all students, by any means necessary as approved by the MSC”
However, when asked by the Publicity Officers, Ali Rashwan stated that it was not necessary to prepare a post or livestream the event.
THIRD WARNING LETTER [LINK]
The final warning letter to the President was sent due to Ali Rashwan’s unexpected, sudden absence and its resulting impact towards MUSA 2023.
“As the constitution states, the President has to appoint a proxy before leaving on their personal endeavors. In this regard, Mr. Dominic Lee (Ex-President of MUSA and current member of the HAC), has self-assumed responsibility of guiding the members of MUSA 2023. According to the constitution, which is my responsibility to uphold, it does not allow a random proxy to step into a demanding role, such as the President’s.”
This was met with an uproar not just by the current OBs of 2023 but the ex-president of MUSA 2022, Dominic Lee who is also currently a member of the 2023 Honorary Affairs Committee (HAC). He requested that this warning letter be voided due to its lack of merit and that Ali Rashwan took every possible precaution given his personal circumstances in order to ensure the continued running of MUSA 2023. Dominic Lee also clarified that he had NOT, in fact, self-assumed responsibility as stated in the warning letter, but instead delegated all remaining tasks to the current Vice Presidents, Rajkamal and Kirara, as per Rashwan’s request, due to the lack of a proxy letter.
The above warning letters were also heavily scrutinised by the MUSA 2023 office bearers with Calvinna (SOMHS female representative), Irfan (SOB male representative), myself and Niraen (current HAC member & 2022 Activities Office Bearer) who called into question the use of ambiguous language in her letters with quotes such as:
“Based on the observations of the General Secretary and consultation of others…”
The office bearers above pointed out that “the consultation of others” was highly irregular and demanded to know where these sources were from and the extent of their credibility in the context of MSC.
She refused to reveal her sources, stating that it was not a constitutional necessity.
Chee Minhao (current HAC member & 2022 SOIT Male Representative) also highlighted that Clause 13 (vi) reads as follows:
“The General Secretary will be able to issue warning letters to Office Bearers, with the exception stated within Clause 13(vii), that requires the approval from the Executive Committee”
This called into question the legitimacy of the warning letters issued as (as far as I am aware) they did not pass the approval of the Executive Committee.
Due to his absence, Ali Rashwan was not able to defend himself, therefore it was decided that these matters would be revisited and appealed at a later MSC.
The rest of the warning letters were addressed to the General Secretary, Urooj Fatima, issued by the President.
FIRST WARNING LETTER (GENSEC) [LINK]
The first warning letter was issued due to the complaints lodged by the Publicity Department who expressed their displeasure at her lack of efficiency when producing posts for the first two rounds of subcommittee recruitment, resulting in frustration for ALL MUSA departments.
“Furthermore, there were concerns with the pre-subcommittee recruitment forms, and you were advised to share them with the MUSA OBs in a timely manner to prevent a recurrence of issues during the February recruitment process. Regrettably, you did not adhere to this advice, leading to similar complications during the February recruitment”
SECOND WARNING LETTER (GENSEC) [LINK]
The second warning letter highlighted her failure to review and double check all the relevant materials that ought to be prepared for by-elections, including the omission of the SOMHS male representative which could have been perceived as a failure to treat all MUSA departments equally. She also failed to provide due notice to the all parties involved within the by-elections including the HAC as well as the candidates themselves, which resulted in scheduling clashes.
THIRD WARNING LETTER (GENSEC) [LINK]
The third warning letter also had to do with the upcoming by-elections, with the General Secretary failing to obtain prior approval of the MUSA by-elections blueprint which in turn resulted in a constitutional crisis (ironically, this is the same exact thing she accused the President of in her first warning letter to him).
By her third letter, it was clear that there was a palpable tension in the air and the sheer number of warning letters that were being handed out like candy, caused Brandon Lim (current member of HAC & 2022 General Secretary) to step in, questioning the legitimacy of the warning letters as they were clearly handed out in a very short span of time from both parties, leaving virtually no time for appeal.
This led to another burst of questions from Office Bearers, with both Vice Presidents having to request that the meeting move on (mind you it was 9.30pm by this time and we were BARELY scratching the surface)
FOURTH WARNING LETTER (GENSEC) [LINK]
Her fourth warning letter was issued by the Vice Presidents, on behalf of MUISS, with Dominic Gerald, the current Country Representative Officer (CRO) of 2023 presenting his case. The General Secretary was accused of abusing her power, using her position as the MUSA General Secretary in order to threaten the Pakistan Community’s Country Representative with a warning letter if alumni from the Pakistani WhatsApp group were not removed.
I was unable to get a screenshot of the text itself BUT here’s a snippet of the text, which I got from the CRO.
On the 13th of February 2023, General Secretary reached out to the Country Representative (CR) of Pakistan stating:
“Also Mustafa, just a heads up, make sure to exclude all the graduates from the Pakistani Community Group ASAP because according to MUISS constitution, only those students who are currently enrolled in Monash should be part of the community as well as the community group. So make sure to do that ASAP before you get a warning letter from either MUISS or me (I cant help it sorry 🥺) if you rmb, first thing ABD did was excluding the graduates. They can surely join the alumni group, that wouldnt be a problem. Just letting you know so no problem occurs for you or dania 😊”
This was supremely unethical and also went directly against the Musa Handbook which states that:
“Under the General Secretary Section 6 Clause (A) sub clause (i) to (iii), there is no mention of the MUSA General Secretary being able to issue a warning letter to a CR without the executive committee’s consent”
“According to the MUISS Constitution Section 98 sub clause (ii), only the MUISS Heads and MUISS Secretary are able to issue warning letters to committee members and subcommittee members (which also includes CRs)”
As the Country Representatives of Pakistan themselves were unable to make it to the MSC, here is what the CRO said on their behalf:
“I’m deeply saddened it has come to this. Our responsibility as a committee is not only to protect the interests of our members but also to ensure the safety and well-being of the students we serve. It is never easy to confront a colleague but we cannot turn a blind eye to such egregious behaviour. As a member of this committee, I cannot sit idly by while these wrongdoings continue to harm our students and friends. This decision was not easy, but it was necessary. It is our duty to create a safe and inclusive environment for all, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. We must hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions. thank you” – Dominic Gerald
FIFTH (AND MERCIFULLY LAST) WARNING LETTER [LINK]
Kemala, current head of MUISS, further presented her case wherein she explained, in a separate warning letter that Urooj had not only overstepped her jurisdiction as the General Secretary but also provided false information regarding the situation that had taken place with the Pakistan CRs. This also led MUISS to conclude that Urooj had gone against the MUSA Code of Conduct which states that:
“MUSA and its office bearers promote inclusivity, equality and a safe space for all
students in all its events, initiatives and codes of conduct.”
All in all the five warning letters issued to her could be summarized as: failing to fulfil her roles/responsibilities, abuse of power and deliberate omission of information in regards to the Pakistan incident.
It was at THIS point (around 10.30pm ish) that frustrations were at an all time high, especially with the General Secretary’s blatant lack of respect for the MSC proceedings with her going so far as to say:
“Wow 5 warning letters, I feel special”
This led to several other OBs to request that she act a bit more professionally as befitting her current circumstances, led by SOMHS female representative Calvinna Huang who complained that her actions were distasteful and frankly disappointing. This was further supported by myself, Danelle (Head of Administration for Editors), Irfan (School of Business Male Representative), Maisa (School of Science Female Representative), Ina (Welfare Officer) and Tsheten (Head of Media for Editors).
Throughout these procedures, she was further backed up by her friends who also acted as her witnesses, adamantly speaking out against the claims made by MUISS. This was intensely frustrating for everyone involved and it was clear that if Chee Min Hao and Dominic Lee (HAC members) had not stepped in, demanding that the defendant speak for herself instead, s*** would have honestly hit the fan.
Finally, after all the Office Bearers had been briefed on her misconduct, Urooj was finally allowed to defend herself in front of MSC, making several statements which can be seen as below:
GENERAL SECRETARY DEFENSE (LINK)
After being given a chance to defend herself, it was finally decided that 3 out of the 5 warning letters issued to the General Secretary were valid, which then led to a Vote of No Confidence against her. For those who are still unclear as to what takes place in a Vote of No Confidence: for a motion to be passed in the MSC, it requires ⅔ “FOR” or “AGAINST” from all MSC voting members, with each department (with the exception of Non-MSC members including Editors, MUISS sub-departments and C&S sub-departments) having a singular vote each. If departments wished to abstain, they would then have to justify their decision.
Honestly… voting was the ONLY portion of this MSC that went on smoothly, with all departments voting FOR the motion of no confidence, resulting in Urooj Fatima being removed from her position as MUSA 2023 General Secretary. Kirara Otawara, one of the Vice Presidents was then announced to be acting General Secretary while the Executive Committee scrambles to look for a replacement in time for by-elections.
And with that, at roughly 10.45pm, we all were finally given the freedom to shuffle out of the Plenary Theatre, mentally and emotionally drained.
Suffice to say that although it may only be the third MSC meeting of the year (and technically it’s only part I, we still have part II), but MUSA 2023 is certainly shaping up to be very interesting indeed.
MUSA DID WHAT 3.2
You guys really thought you wouldn’t hear anymore from me till MSC #4 right?
NOPE.
I’m back and ready to spill the beans on what transpired during MSC #3.2 and hopefully to put all this silly warning letter business behind us once and for all.
ANOTHER MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE
As you can probably tell from the above 6 pages (holy shit this is longer than most of my assignments and I’m a SASS kid guys), the General Secretary has officially been booted from MUSA 2023, with her department currently being helmed by Kirara Otawara, one of our VPs. However, there are still some loose ends to tie up from MSC #3.1, with the most glaring one being the motion of no confidence against the President.
With that somber note, as all of us gathered around the MSC table, we waited with bated breath as the President (HE’S BACK!!), apologized for his sudden absence and proceeded with the explanation for his sudden absence. The link below is the document wherein Rashwan has explained his absence.
EXPLANATION OF ABSENCE [LINK]
But for those of you who are lazy to read it, here’s the run-down:
The President was placed in a very difficult, private situation wherein all of his devices were confiscated and he was given very little communication with anyone else. On the occasions he was allowed communication, he chose to relay his messages to MUSA through Rohan, with detailed instructions for Dominic to assist during his absence. Let the record show that every precaution and effort was made by the President to ensure that MUSA was still afloat during his absence.
With that, MSC moved on to hear the President’s appeals for the individual warning letters he was given from the former General Secretary. All his appeals can be found in the link below:
APPEAL [LINK]
Again, TL;DR:
1st Appeal: The first warning letter addressed to him is merely a copy of the one he had sent to the General Secretary. Furthermore, although the President is a de facto member of all MUSA committees, including the Election Committee, he is NOT the chair of the Election Committee. It is the chair’s responsibility (in this case the ex General Secretary) to ensure that its responsibilities are being held, not the President’s.
2nd Appeal: He has acknowledged his oversight regarding the publication of MSC#3.1, an oversight that was made rashly and when he was incredibly panicked. In his defense, he stated that by the time he realized his error, he was unable to communicate to his team due to the circumstances he was in.
3rd Appeal: Rashwan’s disappearance was NOT scheduled, it was brought about by unforeseen circumstances. Furthermore, Dominic Lee (MUSA President 2022 and current HAC member), did NOT self assume responsibility, he was instead given detailed instructions to delegate tasks to the 2023 HEXCO accordingly.
The MSC was then asked to vote on each of Rashwan’s appeals. Here’s how the process works:
Each MSC Member (HEXCO, Activities, Publicity, Welfare, Wom*n’s and all 7 School Representatives) have a vote each per department. If a majority of the members vote FOR, then the appeal will be accepted. If a voting member chooses to abstain, they will then have to provide a reason for not voting. Finally, if a majority of the members vote AGAINST, then the appeal would not be accepted.
For the first round of voting, all MSC members voted for the appeal, allowing it to pass. The second round of voting on the other brought in three “ABSTAINS” from MUISS, Publicity and the School of Business.
MUISS: “Yes, we believe that it was an oversight, however we believe that we should have been contacted directly about it.
Publicity Officer: “As a Publicity Officer, I did consult Rashwan on the publication of the MSC #3.1 post and I do take part of the blame as well for not knowing the proper way to have gone about it”
School of Business: “We believe that transparency between MUSA and students is important, therefore we believe that it was essential for MUSA to publicize the MSC, however we understand it was still human error, so we choose to abstain instead of voting.”
However, the majority of the MSC members still chose to vote “FOR” Rashwan’s second appeal, allowing it to pass. The third round of voting went on with little to no drama, with all members voting FOR.
You’d think that’d be the end of things right?
Again, NOPE. (Please bear with me guys, my fingers are BLEEDING as I type this I swear and I’m becoming more cross-eyed as I stare at my screen.)
Since Rashwan was in fact issued three warning letters, it still triggered a vote of no confidence which was subject to… you guessed it: ANOTHER ROUND OF VOTING (GO DEMOCRACY!!)
Thankfully, all MSC members chose to vote “AGAINST” the motion of no confidence, which means that Rashwan is (and hopefully will remain so for the rest of the year) still the President for MUSA 2023.
OK NO MORE DRAMA PLEASE
Let me tell you that I’ve never been more pleased to see our usual, bland business report in my entire tenure in MUSA. I’m going to keep things simple because absolutely NOTHING can really compare to the 3,000 words I just vomited up above, but here goes.
The President’s department is happy to report that the MUSA By-Elections took place during Week 6, right before mid-semester break. Although the performances were unsatisfactory, this has caused the Election Committee to realize that MUSA needs to implement better organization and SOP for the upcoming actual elections, perhaps with the implementation of a written test in the future. As for the issue of the General Secretary’s role, which is currently being helmed by VP, Kirara, due to the controversy surrounding the position, the President has opted for the position to be appointed by the MSC after the by-elections.
ENDING THINGS ON A HIGH NOTE?
For those who have been looking forward to the 2023 merchandise, we have some great news for you! The first draft is completed, with the second being sent to the MAC for review. The platform for merchandise sale is also being established, with it most likely being an Easy Store. This is in the hopes that, if the website is successful, then it can be used as a permanent site for all future merchandise sales. The 2023 merchandise lineup will include the following:
- One cap
- One tote bag
- Two T-shirts
- One varsity jacket
- One hoodie
AND
- A FLAGSHIP varsity jacket.
The hoodie is to be designed by the students (we don’t call ourselves for the students, by the students for nothing after all), with the design competition having been posted on Instagram.
And, with that, what I firmly believe is THE longest MUSA DID WHAT article comes to a damn close. No highlights for this round because the only thing that there would be are:
RASHWAN IS GONE
WARNING LETTERS
GENERAL SECRETARY HAS BEEN VOTED OUT OF MUSA
RASHWAN IS BACK
APPEALS
RASHWAN’S STILL PRESIDENT
Oh yeah, by-elections happened and merch is coming.
If you made it through, you’re a soldier and I thank you and I appreciate you for reading this entire thing <3.
Written by Ashley
Design by Jeanette
musamonga.com 