• No transparency, no meritocracy
  • Sonimax
  • 1021333737
  • Last Thursday, the list of successful applicants to our higher institutions of learning was made public along with the revelation that bumiputra form the bulk &#8212 68.9 percent &#8212 of this new undergraduates group based on the newly implemented merit selection system.

    One week has passed and yet there has been no media report or analysis on the breakdown of admissions to the 17 public universities and colleges.

    Some of our public universities admit few non-Malays. UiTM, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia and Kolej Universiti Islam Malaysia all fall into this category. If we exclude the admissions from these three 'public universities', we may arrive at quite a different conclusion.

    In my opinion, this is another government 'ploy' to attract votes from the Malay community. There is no harm in the government trying to project a caring image but eyewashing the public is not right and an insult to the intelligence of Malaysians.

    No newspaper has carried any news on the breakdown of admissions into the universities and university colleges. The public has been kept in dark about what exactly happened. The doubt is not just in regards to the admission numbers, but also the transparency of the selection system.

    There are also different views to the term 'public university'. It is arguable if some of our universities can claim to be 'public' since they are not freely open to everyone based on educational qualifications.

    Doubts are also cast on the grading and selection system used as reports confirmed that the majority of bumiputra entering public universities this year took matriculation. How were marks given in the matriculation exam?

    To be fair, shouldn't the grading system be similar to the STPM exam that the non-bumiputra students must take? The matriculation exams may use the cumulative grade point average grading system, but how are the CGPA grades converted to the merit mark if the selection system uses only one merit marking system? Is there something to hide in this matter?

    Critics dispute the merit-based system as it has no transparency. If marks based on merit are the main factor for entering public universities, the authorities should have the standard ready when the selection is made. Why hasn't it come out with the standard of merit marks in regard to STPM (the only merit marks made clear) and CGPA or other equivalent grades? If they said they still need time to sort this out, what could this mean? That the selection authority practised random selection, not merit-based?

    Malaysians have had enough of government lies thrown at them every day by the mass media and other means. The result is a disbelieving public who will now doubt every 'result' that the government releases where there has been no transparency. Government credibility has eroded.

    The time has again come for voters to select a new government. Will this government be elected again? Time will tell.