I refer to the letter Stop Bashing UiTM.

To the writer,

While I agree that certain comments may be considered a little harsh, they are still facts. Of course, the way that a person communicates such facts will determine how well others will receive and perceive its intentions. To be more objective here, you raised several points worth discussing :

1. You were saddened by the fact that there were hateful comments, biased judgments and racist opinions directed at UiTM. While this is true, did it ever occur to you that the student admission quota itself is the purest form of racism in practice? As the media has pointed out, there was a student body which was also involved in the recent Malaysian Bar forum rally whereby hateful slogans and biased judgements were leveled against the organisers of the forums and the people who attended the forum.

This act itself is baseless because they themselves were not open to what is really being discussed in the forum and also did not bother to find out. As for the UiTM case, I believe the feedback and comments are based upon either personal observations over time or what they know happened to someone that they know. Fair enough?

2. ‘Malays are at a disadvantaged economically. Thanks to UiTM, the status of the poor Malay students from the kampung have indeed improved.’- I believe no one challenged the fact that there are hardcore poor Malays in our country. Poverty exists everywhere regardless of race, religion and other demographic conditions.

The thing is, are the hardcore poor only made up of Malays and indigenous tribes? Malays had a head start for many years and many have benefitted already. Isn't it time to let others have the same ‘chances’ that you were talking about? Sharing is caring right?

3. ‘Look at the race composition of law students in University Malaya. How many are Malays?’- I am unsure of the actual ratio of the students based on race segregation but I'm pretty sure that the number of non-Malays will definitely not be more than the Malays.

4. ‘That's why we need UiTM to help the Malay and bumiputera students who didn't make it to the law faculty due to a weak command in English, communication and confidence.’ - Firstly, a university is not supposed to help with basic things such as language, communication and confidence.

A university is supposed to be an institution of higher learning. If your observation is true in that many Malay and bumi students could not study law due to a weak command of the language, the root cause of the problem is either themselves or the education system. On top of that, if studying law and becoming a lawyer is what a person wants to be, it is that person's responsibility to make sure he covers all bases and is fully prepared.

If this mentality of ‘everything will be taken care of’ continues, what do you think will happen in the workplace when these people graduate? Do you think they will be able to perform their best? I doubt so.

5. ‘UiTM prepares these students with pre-law programmes which emphasise English courses and public-speaking to improve their command of English. This is the only place where they can go to improve as other doors are 'closed'.’ - Now, could you share with us on ideas of how and possibly where the non-Malays and non-bumis could go when they are faced with many, many more closed doors?

Non-Malays and non-bumis going to private insitutions does not mean that they can afford it. Firstly, they have no choice and secondly, you have no idea what the parents go through to ensure that their children, who are at a disadvantaged from the start, get to compete in this real world.

I hope you can understand that all parents suffer, regardless of demographic conditions. They always want the best for their children. Fair enough?

6. ‘We are very much marginalised as the economy is monopolised by certain people in Malaysia since Merdeka. And it's definitely not us.’- If you, as a Malay feel marginalised when you have all the advantages by birth, how do you think the non-Malays will feel?

We all pay taxes too. Isn't it time that our children and our future generations share the same benefits too? Is 10% such a big figure? Bear in mind that the 10% is being contended by all the non-Malays. We are not even speaking about 10% for Chinese and another 10% for Indians. Is this not a fair request?

7. ‘We just need affirmative action to fast-track our competitiveness. Look at China, after much isolation and discrimination in their economy for many years, they are now ready to open up because they have achieved their mission to prepare their citizens to compete globally.’ - While I agree that we need to have some form of protection to prepare ourselves before we compete on a wider scale, will you agree with me that protectionism also breeds complacency and stifles talent?

I am sure that you will agree that there are many talented Malays and bumis who can contribute a lot. Is it fair for them to be held back by an old system in order to wait for others to play catch up while they see their competitors progress farther and farther ahead? On another note, the non- Malays and non-bumis who have already been exposed to more disadvantages in the first place, fought hard to gain ground and to play on a level field.

Some of them even ‘make it’ earlier and have tasted success. Is it their fault now that the current ruling government keeps replaying the broken record of ‘disparate income between the races’ for decades (assuming that the recent statistics published are accurate)? Do you agree that this ‘disparate income situation’ was actually created due to existing faults in the education system?

8. ‘I just wish the name-calling and unkind remarks against UiTM will cease.’ - We also wish to be treated with respect and not being labeled as a babi and shooed back to China by others. I believe my Indian friends also do not want to have their children to be called names and physically abused by their own teacher and watch in frustration when the teacher who broke every rule gets a transfer to better working conditions. Fair enough?

9. ‘We have never looked down upon other private colleges initiated by the rich which only provide sub-standard education with lowly-qualified lecturers, doubtful examination systems, shorter teaching hours, lack of basic facilities,' shop lot degrees', etc.’ -

It is interesting that you highlighted this. If your observation is true, then the people who benefit most from the provision of sub-standard education with lowly-qualified lecturers, doubtful exam systems, shorter teaching hours, poor basic facilities that gives ‘shop lot degrees’ are the people who own these education institutions, not the students.

Then how did the students who studied in such deplorable conditions still achieve results and are successful today? Have you ever wondered why? I leave it to your imagination.

10. ‘Again, I call upon all your readers to stop making negatives comments about us. Be fair to us. We never question why many of us did not make it to certain professional programmes in UM, UTM, UKM and many more. We just need affirmative action to assist us.’ - Every year we see of appeals for scholarships and also public pleas to be admitted to the universities by the students.

It is interesting to note that all the pleas are made by non-Malays. Are they being treated fairly? They are high-achievers as well. They are also citizens of Malaysia. They are entitled to ‘affirmative action’ to assist them as well but do they get it?

Yes, they do get help but it is from the private sectors. To put it more crudely, the non-Malays are paying taxes to fund everyone else except themselves for so many years. We have every right to demand for equality. It's in the constitution.