The Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) student representative council has issued an open apology for organising the #MahasiswaUiTMBantah campaign last week.
The campaign was launched to protest the proposal of allowing non-bumiputera students into its cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme.
The council admitted that its May 14 statement on the matter was "confusing" as it did not detail the proper chronology of the case.
"In addition, we did not clearly explain the interpretation of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which led to confusion among the public.
"The matter was unforeseen, and we accept this as a lesson in cultivating full disclosure through clearer statements," the council said in a statement today.
Last week, the council organised a campaign between May 14 and 16 urging students to dress in black as a sign of protest to the suggestion.
The council also encouraged students to upload photos of their attire with the #MahasiswaUiTMBantah hashtag on social media, to support the online campaign.
Disrupted harmony
Following this, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) pointed out that there is no provision in the law that prohibits the admission of non-bumiputera students into UiTM.
Its director Zaid Malek explained that Article 153 (2) of the Constitution allows the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to determine a reasonable proportion of educational privileges for the Malays and the natives and Sabah and Sarawak.
"(However) Article 153(1) states clearly that the legitimate interests of other communities must be safeguarded when utilising said provision.
"As such, there is certainly nothing within Article 153 that would make it unconstitutional to allow non-bumiputera to enrol in any of UiTM courses," he said.
Elaborating, the council said it should have preserved the well-being and harmony among students even though via cyberspace.
"We also take note of sensitive 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues that should not have been raised at all. Harmony was disrupted due to a message that was not relayed clearly and was not in line with the original intent of the campaign.
"We would also like to thank all quarters involved, either directly or indirectly, in voicing their views and concerns on the matter. Feedback is important for us to clarify the matter," read the statement.
The council reiterated its apology on the matter, adding that the mistake would serve as a lesson in the future. - Mkini
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