http://dapmalaysia.org  

Will Qualified Non-bumi Students Be Sacrificed By Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh To Atone For His Defeat At The Next UMNO Supreme Council Elections? Press Statement by Lim Guan Eng (Melaka, Tuesday): MCA, MIC and Gerakan should declare whether they endorse Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh's remarks in the UMNO General Assembly that as the Higher Education Minister, he will never allow non-Bumiputera students to enter UiTM and he will not compromise on this matter. Such remarks are not only hurtful to non-bumis but also un-Malaysian as education should be democratised and open to all. All Chinese and Tamil schools are open to every Malaysian regardless of race and religion and the government should be working towards progressively multi-racialising our educational institutions and not restricting it to only one race. How can such an approach foster national unity? Dr Shafie had also assured UMNO delegates that so long as he remains as Higher Education Minister the number of Bumiputera students in public universities will always exceed the given quota. For example, he said in 2002, there were 69 per cent Bumiputera students, while the quota was only 63 per cent, while in 2004, there were 64 per cent Bumiputeras (the quota was only 53 per cent). Where is meritocracy in our education system if a Minister can guarantee that bumi students will always exceed the given quota. Dr Shafie should instead state his pride that meritocracy has allowed bumi students to perform and exceed their given quota. By assuring that bumi students will always exceed the given quota, Dr Shafie is mocking the efforts of bumi students and playing the racial stereotype. Further this is an injustice to qualified non-bumi students who may be denied their rightful place because of such political statements by Dr Shafie at the UMNO General Assembly. Clearly Dr Shafie is still trying to get over his unexpected loss in the UMNO Supreme Council elections despite being a full Minister. Will Qualified Non-bumi Students Be Sacrificed By Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh To Atone For His Defeat At The Next UMNO Supreme Council elections? It is highly irresponsible for Dr Shafie to play politics with our children's education and the non-Malay BN component parties must prove their courage of their principles by condemning and opposing such extreme statements. Failure by MCA President Datuk Ong Ka Ting, Gerakan President Datuk Dr Lim Keng Yaik and MIC President Datuk S. Samy Vellu to do so, will only prove how hollow their promises of educational excellence and opportunities for all Malaysians.   (28/9/2004) * Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General