In the Star,

UiTM restrictions meant to improve bumiputra status Compiled by SUSAN TAM, S. ARULLDAS and SYLVIA LOOI UTUSAN Malaysia and Berita Harian highlighted the strong objections to a suggestion that Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) be opened to non-bumiputra students. In Utusan’s front-page report, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh was quoted as saying that the Government would not allow non-bumiputra students to enrol at UiTM. He said the aim of setting up UiTM was to increase the number of Malay professionals, an idea agreed upon by leaders of all races in the past. “We can’t change; they have to remember the social contract. No compromises,” he said in an interview on Thursday. He was responding to Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik’s suggestion that UiTM be opened to other races as a multi-racial university would benefit the nation. Dr Shafie said UiTM was unlike other institutions. “The reality is that UiTM is an institution relating to the rights and privileges of the Malays. This can’t be questioned.” He also said that if the response of Chinese students to the Mara Junior Science College could be used as a yardstick, they might not be interested in enrolling in institutions like UiTM. “The response to the 10% quota for non-bumiputra students in the Mara college has been poor,” he said. In the Berita Harian report, UiTM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah said he disagreed with Dr Ling’s suggestion. “But the final decision lies with the Prime Minister and the Higher Education Minister,” he said. Dr Ibrahim said UiTM was set up to balance the racial profile of graduates in the country. “Although UiTM is capable of producing up to 200,000 graduates to date, the numbers have yet to reach this target,” he said. “Up to today, we are unable to match graduates from other races, and you can imagine the situation if the enrolment was open to other races.” Dr Ibrahim also said that about 90% of all private institutions of higher learning in the country were owned by non-Malays. In public institutions, Malays make up a minority in critical fields and degrees offered,” he said. He said if graduates produced in Malaysia were only made up of one race, it could lead to political instability.

Reading this article only reaffirms the status of certain races in Malaysia as second class citizens. Despite the "noble" intentions of top politicians to raise the status of one race, stiffling healthy competition only helps perpetuate a race that remains oblivious to the fact that globalisation is here and competition from without will appear as a bigger threat than those within.

I am quite surprised as to the extent that the Government is willing to spoonfeed one race. In medicine, for example, post graduate training is not sparred from this racist scourge. Masters training is usually offered to doctors who have completed 3 years of service after one's housemanship training. Or so it seems. Now a special programme called SLAB (Skim Latihan Akedemik Bumiputra) is offering Bumiputra doctors a chance of entering the Masters training even if one had just completed housemanship. Perhaps an excerpt from this article at this site titled "Unhappy Doctors" sums it all.

Who are these specialist trainess anyway? A small number of them are under the SLAB program - Skim Latihan Akademik Bumiputra - a 'backdoor' way to admit Malay doctors into the specialist training programme. While other junior doctors serve in remote areas of Malaysia, completing their compulsory 'three year service as MO' before being qualified to apply for specialist training, Bumiputra doctors gain entry into UMMC right after their housemanship. Once the Bumiputra doctors are admitted into this programme, they are directly employed by UMMC at a salary scale higher than a fifth-year Health Ministry Medical Officer.

Top politicians often do not entertain remarks by others when it touches on "sensitivities" of special priviledges. How far are you willing to take it? Should it not be fair that doctors compete fairly for post graduate places? Or does this signify the inferior quality of doctors from one race? Even if this system is insisted upon, can't they also complete the 3 years compulsory training as do the rest of us?

This is a blatant racist tactic. It is unfair to many hardworking doctors. Trust me the unhappiness with the existence of this SLAB scheme is common. It is only silently frowned upon.