I read with dismay the malaysiakini report entitled ' Medical students refute Education Ministry's meritocracy claim '. This is not the first time the authorities are taking us Malaysians for fools.

After the ruckus created following one ministry's failure to apply simple arithmetic in the calculation of the police to population ratio, the education minister is now again trying to undermine the intelligence of the rakyat with his 'meritocracy' fallacy.

Looking at the statistics, it's no-brainer to see the obvious. The bottom line is that while the absolute figures for the non-bumiputera student intake may appear to be increasing, the percentage has actually dropped. This mean, new places were created but again a bulk (if not all) of the new places have been allocated to bumiputera students.

Let's not just confine ourselves to the Universiti Malaya medical faculty. If one were to analyse other faculties such as law, economics, business administration, engineering, etc, I believe the same results will surface.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not against the allocation of places for bumiputera students. However, it would be unjust of the authorities to avoid admitting to the practice and instead try to hoodwink the public with sickening meritocracy tales.

Instead of being transparent and substantiating their claims with solid data on the basis of selection via the STPM and matriculation routes, the minister has instead tried to divert the issue by saying that we should not adopt a racist view in assessing the intake of students.

Such hyprocrisy, as correctly pointed out by a malaysiakini reader, is just being selectively used in a situation deemed fit by the minister. In many other situations, I do not think the minister will apply the same principle and advocate for the elimination of racial considerations.

What the public is demanding is transparency in line with the maxim of calling a spade, a spade. Let not let this issue to be diverted towards creating a false impression that racism is involved or certain parties are trying to challenge bumiputera privileges.

The question here is simple and clear: Are we really practising meritocracy or not? If we are, then is there evidence to explain the glaring discrepancies that have arisen? If not, why can't we just admit that we are not ready for it and stop covering a lie with a heap of other lies that eventually confuse the public and create racial animosity.

Malaysia is a great country and her citizens from all races have generally lived in harmony for decades. Once in a while, we do have issues that may disturb this peaceful equilibrium. Such issue(s) however, are externally motivated, normally out of political interests, rather than organically developed.

Therefore, let the politicians keep their games to themselves and let commoners like us continue to live in peace with one another.