PSM Youth opposes Mara chief's paid-MRSM proposal

 

PSM Youth has opposed Mara chairperson Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki's proposal to establish paid Mara Science Junior College (MRSM) for the high-income earning elite group of society.

According to PSM Youth secretary Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, this is because the suggestion contradicts Mara's vision and mission.

"MRSM was originally formed to help students from the B40 income group, and not for the rich and the elite.

"A paid MRSM will only further widen the gap between the rich and the poor, and pave the way for reduced allocations for MRSM, and open it for privatisation," Gandipan said in a statement today.

He was responding to a recent remark by Asyraf (above) that the proposal was conjured up following feedback from various quarters.

Gandipan noted that this is not the first time the paid MRSM idea has been brought up, as similar remarks had been voiced out in 2016 by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was the rural and regional development minister then.

"PSM Youth would like to know the reason, and who's behind those who keep proposing this idea (paid MRSM) to the masses."

According to Gandipan, MRSM admission numbers have consistently fallen over the last six years, and it is this problem that the chairperson should be striving to solve.

"In 2017, Mara received over 60,000 applications, but MRSM could only offer 7,500 spots for new students in Form One. Six years later, the spots opened up for admission was a mere 7,169.

"This means that in six years, MRSM did not develop and failed to provide more spots for those in need," Gandipan said, adding that Asyraf should be thinking of ways to fix this issue instead.

He further stressed that MRSM should not stray from its original goal.

"Creating educational opportunities for the wealthy in a platform that is supposed to benefit the underprivileged is a corrupt approach that needs to be opposed." - Mkini