Dyana Sofya hits back at Umno, says Malay party has lost the plot

Teluk Intan by-election candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud remains an Umno target, with leaders accusing her of being a ‘traitor’. – The Malaysian Insider pic, May 19, 2014.Teluk Intan by-election candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud today hit back at Umno leaders for labelling her a "traitor" for contesting on a DAP ticket and for questioning the intake policy of her alma mater, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim questioned Dyana’s suggestion that a similar institution like UiTM be established to provide quality education for other races as well.

Razali had said Dyana should also ask for the closure of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar), which he claimed was dominated by a single race.

Razali, who is an Umno supreme council member, accused Dyana of double standards for harping on UiTM, but not on MCA-founded Utar, which largely attracts students of a single race.

"If she is willing to question the policy of UiTM, which gives priority to the intake of Malay students, why doesn't she ask for Utar, which is monopolised by one race, to be closed down?" he was quoted as asking by Bernama.

Stressing she took pride in her university, the UiTM graduate said ‎she still stood by her belief that education should not be race-based.

Dyana said Umno has gone on the defensive by accusing her of wanting to close UiTM instead of being open to constructive proposals.

This, she said, was why many Malaysians felt Umno had lost the plot, closing both ears and reading what it wanted to read.

"Equal opportunity to all deserving Malaysians does not mean that the Malays will be robbed. It means that more deserving Malaysians of all races, including many Malays, who do not support Umno, will have access to quality higher education.

"Umno has lost sight of our future and is more concerned with stoking ethnic sentiments in order to shore up its support base.

"A public institution, more so a public institution of higher learning should never be placed at the mercy of a political party. UiTM belongs to the people, not just Umno," Dyana said in a statement today.

The 27-year-old Perak-born lawyer said while she was a student of UiTM, she noticed the discrepancy where children of well-to-do Umno leaders were admitted into the varsity while poorer but more qualified non-Umno linked families were shut out.

In addressing  Umno's labelling of her as a traitor for joining DAP, Dyana said no political party had a right to stand in the way of the dreams and aspirations of young Malaysians.

"‎Umno leaders are labelling me a traitor for being a DAP candidate, as apparently according to them, UiTM alumni are not supposed to do that. When did joining UiTM make us Umno members?

"It is ironic that Umno is claiming that UiTM students should support Umno as this is the same party that discourages students from being active in politics. Students (should) be free to express their views and thoughts, and be accorded their freedom to pursue their dreams and ambitions."

Meanwhile, Wanita Umno head Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil continued her tirade against Dyana by telling her not to be a "traitor" when she shook her hand at the nomination centre this morning.

Malaysiakini quoted Dyana as saying Shahrizat warned her not to become a “traitor”, in reminding her she was a UiTM graduate.

But Dyana, according to Malaysiakini, brushed off the warning, saying that she felt “Zen” (peaceful) about the whole incident and reassured Shahrizat she would not become a traitor.

“I take it as good advice. I would never become a traitor for Malaysia, don’t worry,” Dyana said.

She also said that she did not understand why someone’s university should become a benchmark for the choice of political parties.

In calling students in all public universities not to be "chained" to Umno's and Barisan Nasional's agenda, Dyana said the Latin words alma mater means "nourishing mother".

"Never allow Umno and BN to rob you of a nourishing mother by turning it into a repressive master," she said, adding that she would take up students and youth activism in Parliament if wins the by-election on May 31.