UMNO Vice-President Khaled Nordin’s views on education reforms through racial lens and full of stereotypes should be condemned. He failed to realise in a comprehensive manner the current threats with which our education system are facing. Various aspects including holistic ways of nurturing talent, mindsets in education, civic consciousness as well as reforms and innovations, are all under serious threat due to institutional racial biasedness and will eventually compromise the competitiveness of our nation.
Yesterday, UMNO Vice-president Khalid Nordin objected to the Education Minster Mazlee’s consideration on proposal submitted by DAPSY to revamp the system of university entry. He emphasized that education is not only reserved for students with excellent achievements and results, and further condemn DAPSY for having racial agendas.
Although UMNO is in the opposition, it is crystal clear that UMNO leaders did not repent on their mistakes. Even Khalid who once portrayed himself as an open-minded leader also defended the education system that is entrenched in elements of discrimination, and in turn accused DAPSY as having racial agendas.
Khalid is exactly the one who intentionally tries not to understand that the education system in Malaysia is entrenched in institutional racial biasedness under several decades of BN’s regime. The institutional biasedness and unequal treatment had directly resulted in the barriers between students of different ethnic groups and left permanent scars in our society. These are the crux of the problems that led to ethnic conflict in our nation. Furthermore, institutional biasedness based on ethnic groups had obstructed many poor but excellent talents from obtaining fair opportunities to study and develop themselves. This has resulted to brain drain that is gradually compromising our country’s competitiveness. In the end, the losers are still all Malaysians.
Khalid’s remarks were half-baked because education is certainly not reserved only for students who are excellent, but is about nurturing all in a fair and holistic manner, particularly the minorities and marginalised group. Therefore, Khalid’s remark through racial lens that tries to justify eliminating talents from education opportunities must be condemned.
Every ethnic group has groups of people who are marginalised, poor and helpless. Pakatan Harapan government should implement education policy reforms based on need-based criteria. This is the only effective way that can narrow the currently huge gap between different statuses, ethnic groups and cultures.
I hope that our Education Minister YB Mazlee can be determined in pushing for education reform agendas and not be bothered by UMNO’s voices full of extremism, in order to fight for the betterment of all Malaysians. We all are aware that there are numerous flaws in our education system and the society under BN’s 60-years rule. Therefore, ordinary citizens in general do not think that the government will implement all education reforms at once.
Education is the root of a nation. Hence, we hope that YB Mazlee can demonstrate to all Malaysians the real essence of providing education, because we can say that the New Malaysia is successfully built only through nurturing next generations that embrace the spirit of New Malaysia.