I refer to the letter Umno's meritocracy myth. It is not good enough lambasting the system but it would be better to suggest an alternative. The writer claims that meritocracy within the bumiputera circle puts the bumiputeras from East Malaysia at a disadvantage as compared to West Malaysia.

Is the writer suggesting the creation of more divisions within Malaysian societies? So, now we should further categorise bumiputeras into Malays, Indian Muslims, Pattanese Malays, Javanese Malays, Kadazans, Dayaks Senoi, Murut, Bajau, Melanau, Minangkabau and so on and so forth?

I feel the best criteria in deciding who should enter public institutions of higher learning should be the economic standing of their parents. Meritocracy is a scam and has been used all over the world to suppress minority races such as the gypsies in Europe and the Red Indians of North/South America.

Public universities are cheaper than private ones, thus the financial situation of prospective students should be taken into consideration. Students from rich families traditionally do better academically than students from poor families. Not because they are born smarter. Students from poor families are unable to afford private one-to-one tuition or expensive revision workbooks and their parents are usually uneducated so can't give much tutoring or guidance.

These students end up spending precious study time minding the baby or preparing meals (because their parents cannot afford maids) or have to help their father doing odd jobs such as cutting grass or selling fried bananas in the afternoons and evenings to supplement the family income.

Yet, the criteria for admissions into public universities treats all students as equal irrespective of their background. That is why we have the ridiculous scenario in Malaysia where children of company CEOs and directors are getting places when their parents can afford alternatives but orphans and the kampung folk get nothing and have nowhere to go.

I disagree that we should further sub-divide our society. Instead we should change the criteria used for the selection of students into public universities. Forget about meritocractic race-based quotas and instead concentrate on the welfare of the people. Let us give priority to the needy, irrespective of ethnic race.