Can politicians please stop messing with the education of our children, please?

Ever wonder how come Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was 'courageous' enough to choose to implement a 'merit-based' system of admission to public universities, with no 'benefit of hindsight'?

Bear in mind that Barisan Nasional's political position is still very unstable. Even Kedah, PM's home state, nearly fell into opposition's hands in the last general election. Umno was, and still is, under serious threat.

The legitimacy of Umno and Dr M's rule is based on affirmative action for the Malays and other bumiputra. If it turned out that the percentage of Malay admission into public universities fell below the predetermined 55 percent quota, it would not take a Nostradamus to predict what Umno's fate would be in the next general election.

I am worried about the long-term consequences from this so-called merit-based system. Will they continue this dirty trick next year? Imagine how bad Umno would look if the percentage of Malay students fall below 60 percent (let alone back to 55 percent or less). Is this the beginning of a new kind of foul play by Umno which is even more sinister than the quota system we have seen?

The temptation of manipulating the system to achieve political gains is just too great for the unscrupulous politicians to let go of.

Will they bend the rules in other areas of public policy? But above all, will this kind of unfair discrimination ever end?

I am angry that they have chosen to mess with our children's education. As a developing country, our only hope of advancing in society and to improve our lives is to invest in our children's education and their future.

I remember growing up being encouraged by my hardworking parents to study very hard, so that one day I would be able to find a good job, and have a better life than the one they have had. I have motivated myself to study and work hard in order to relieve them from their frugal lifestyle, and give them a much better life in their old age.

And I am sure there are many more families out there who have an even greater need to see their children succeed in their education.

Education is our only hope, our only chance, to have a better life. Usually, more than one generation of hope, love and sacrifice are invested in the 18 years — or more — of our children's education.

Education is where all the good, ordinary and hardworking people of our society try to get a better deal for themselves. We do not steal or cheat, unlike the politically well-connected criminals and cronies.

Unscrupulous politicians should leave us alone and not destroy the only area in our social life where good faith, merit, justice and fair play are supposed to prevail.

Imagine how you would feel, if you and all three generations of your entire family have been working very hard for 17 years, hoping that one day you would be able to go to university, only to be told that you could not make it because a bunch of politicians decided to mess with the system and change the rules.

And I am also pleading to the conscience of the policymakers: Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you. Society does not benefit from any suppression and injustice.

Having two different routes of entry into public universities is never equal. Stop insulting our intelligence.

Enough is enough.