'Meritocracy in education only helps Chinese'

Several Malay educationists have backed the proposal by Malay Consultative Council president Ibrahim Abu Shah to abolish the current meritocracy system in education.

Yesterday Utusan Malaysia had reported that Ibrahim, a former Universiti Teknologi Mara  deputy chancellor, had urged the Education Ministry to restructure the education system from pre-school to tertiary levels to return ‘justice’ to Malay students.

The restructuring should focus on the interests of Malay students from all aspects, he had said, including teaching methods to the allocation of scholarships.

“Today meritocracy has created Chinese supremacy. There is nothing to benefit Malay students. Imagine Malay students only make up 35 percent of those in higher education institutions and the rest are Chinese,” he reportedly said. 

“In term of scholarship, Malay students have failed to dominate the allocation of scholarships. Last year, 80 percent of Chinese students received scholarships as they obtained outstanding results based on the government’s policy of meritocracy.”  

Ibrahim’s remarks were made as a panel speaker at the ‘Malay and Bumiputra Education Convention’ organised by Yayasan Pelajaran Mara, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris and Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung on Saturday.

Another speaker, Retired Educators Association president Raof Hussin, echoed Ibrahim’s views, saying the meritocracy system in education has not been studied carefully because it overlooks the impact on Malay students.

He called on the government to set an education quota especially for non-bumiputeras.

“All this while, the government has been thinking too much about ways to win the hearts of the Chinese and Indians apparently out of the national interest, to the extent that it has actually mistreated the Malays too long,” he said.

‘Give bumis more help’

In a report published today, Utusan interviewed Malay academics who threw their support behind the call.

Former education department director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom said many bumiputera students in rural areas are in need of assistance, such as scholarships, to further their studies.

Hence these students should be given benefits, including financial aid from the government, he suggested.

Zainal Kling (right), who heads the history, heritage and socio-culture cluster in the National Professors Council, pointed out that meritocracy should be implemented within each ethnic group, rather than across the board.

“Meritocracy should only be practised (separately) among Chinese students, among Malay students and among Indian students,” he was quoted as saying.

The meritocracy system implemented in the intake for public universities was introduced in 2002 by then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to replace the racial quota system which had reserved 55 percent of places for bumiputera students.

However the system does not apply to all Mara higher education institutions and matriculation class dominated by bumiputera students.