I refer to the letter Bumi's success at expense of non-bumis by J Lu.

The writer is misinformed. Actually, scholarships don't exist any more in Malaysia. The financial assistance given by the Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) is in the form of an interest-free loan payable over a period of around 15 years.

On top of that, it is not easy to get it if you have mediocre results unless you are a minister's or VIP's son or daughter.

Things are not as rosy as the writer likes to make out for the bumiputera. I know many bumiputeras who are orphans or have handicapped parents or are from extremely poor families but who cannot get these educational loans.

Which is why the government is encouraging bumiputera parents to invest in the Amanah Saham Pendidikan scheme or to buy higher education insurance as government assistance will gradually fade away in the coming future.

As for the assertion that the NEP will reduce the number of non-bumi graduates, I disagree. I was at Sunway College's recent graduation ceremony in Petaling Jaya where those receiving their scrolls were nearly all (95%) non-bumis.