KAJANG, MALAYSIA: Police have identified the man who punched New Era College senate chairman Dr Yap Sin Tian during the convocation on Sunday.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Shakaruddin Che Mood said they were also studying the closed-circuit TV clip to determine the gravity of the assault.

Dr Yap was punched while giving a speech. The attacker was wearing a shirt used by members of a fund-raising event at the college and is said to be a former student.

ACP Shakaruddin declined to say if the attack was linked to a squabble between Dr Yap and the college's former principal Dr Kua Kia Soong.

Dr Yap, who is Dong Zong (United Chinese School Commit-tees Association of Malaysia) president, is said to have supported the decision not to extend Dr Kua's contract when it expired last month.

Dr Kua has condemned the attack.

"Of course I am not involved. I am no longer working in the college," he said.

He added that the man who had punched Dr Yap had done damage to the cause he and others were fighting for, which was for a more democratic college.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung expressed shock and regret over the incident.

"I hope all parties involved will be able to give their cooperation to the police so that the case can be solved as soon as possible," he said at Parliament yesterday.

He said the assault had marred the image of private institutions of higher learning.