Urimai chairperson P Ramasamy today ticked off DAP senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran for opposing proposals for the Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme to be opened to non-bumiputera students.
“Lingeshwaran doesn’t have basic common sense. He should be welcoming the move.
“Although there are no discussions yet, if UiTM is ready, what’s wrong with that given the shortage of cardiothoracic specialists in the country?
“Why is he trying to preserve ethnic hegemony in public universities? In fact, other universities should open up too,” he told Malaysiakini.
On April 25, Codeblue reported Raja Amin Raja Mokhtar, who is on the board of studies of the UiTM-IJN cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme, as saying that the varsity is agreeable to open up to non-bumiputera parallel pathway trainees and graduates.
He said the decision was made after speaking to UiTM’s vice-chancellor and the chairperson of the UiTM board, and they agreed to the idea for a limited period.
Retain exclusivity
However, on April 30, Lingeshwaran objected to the idea and maintained that the bumiputera-only university should continue to serve bumiputera students exclusively, while non-bumiputera or non-Malay students can take the parallel pathway for medical speciality training.
“I think UiTM is treading a dangerous slope as it’s going against the constitution of UiTM and removing the safeguard of bumiputera brothers and sisters.
“So I don’t think it’s needed for us to open UiTM for the non-bumiputera when the existing parallel pathway is there for them.
“I think we need to work hand to hand so that the parallel pathway and local master’s can both work together and we do the best for the people of Malaysia as a whole,” Codeblue reported the DAP senator as saying.
Lingeshwaran then stressed the need to recognise the Health Ministry’s parallel pathway programme with overseas royal colleges, as the number of specialist doctors produced by local universities is far smaller than those produced by the parallel pathway.
Earlier today, Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said there has been no discussion on opening UiTM’s cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme to non-bumiputera students.
“We haven’t discussed the matter yet, apart from not being informed officially of the proposal,” Berita Harian reported him as saying.
On that note, Ramasamy said the government could strengthen the parallel pathway programme while having UiTM open up the said course to non-bumiputera students - given the shortage of medical professionals in the country.
“This is also an opportunity to turn public universities to become more racially balanced. Why is he against it?
“Obviously, it’s not appropriate for Lingeshwaran to be in the medical profession.” - Mkini
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