Press Statement by Karpal Singh in Kuala Lumpur on
Wednesday, 13rd August 2008:
Non-Bumiputeras in UiTM - Khalid's
suggestion most welcome
The statement by Selangor Menteri
Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, that 10% of all new students intake
in UiTM be reserved for non-Bumiputeras and foreign students, is a
suggestion which should be welcome by all. The time has come for all
institutes of higher learning be open to all Malaysians. There is no
question of Abdul Khalid betraying the Malay race.
I am somewhat taken aback by the unwarranted remarks by Prime Minister,
Datuk Sri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, against Abdul Khalid for having made
this suggestion. When he became Prime Minister, Abdullab Badawi, is on
record for saying he was the Prime Minister of all Malaysians. The Prime
Minister should walk the talk now by supporting the suggestion made by
Abdul Khalid.
The country should not practice apartheid in any form. I cannot
understand why after 51 years of independence, considerations of race
are still the order of the day. It is political parties like UMNO, MCA
and MIC which have set the pace for the perpetuation of racialism. In
fact, all racial political parties should be outlawed. Only multi-racial
political parties should be granted registration.
I cannot understand why Bumiputera students in UiTM want to be an island
of their own, detached from contact with non-Bumiputera students.
A demonstration yesterday by more than 5,000 UiTM students at the
Selangor State Secretariat was clearly an unlawful assembly. I am
surprised the police did not disperse this assembly even before it
proceeded to the State Secretariat to hand over a memorandum of protest
over Abdul Khalid’s suggestion. It appears, as in the case of
demonstration over the conversion forum outside the Bar Council building
on Saturday, the police are condoning clear infringement of the Police
Act which forbids assemblies without a police permit. The condonation of
unlawful demonstrations by the police, in fact, amount to the police
themselves abetting an offence. The police are duty-bound to ensure
there is law and order arid respect for the law, not condone what is
obviously infringement of the law.
*
Karpal Singh, DAP National Chairman & MP for Bukit Gelugor
http://dapmalaysia.org