This is what I think of the so-called merit system in university admissions. Before, it was like a football game in which the non-bumiputra players playing on an uneven ground were told that they could score only a maximum of three goals.

They must also allow the bumiputra players who are given a nice flat field to play on to score at least five goals.

Now, the non-bumiputra players are told they can score as many goals as they can, but their field is still on uneven sloping hillside, while the bumiputra players continue to enjoy their comfortable playground so that they can easily score their goals.

The many non-bumiputra players who have sharpened their competitive edge on the hostile terrain decide to look elsewhere for a more even playing field.

Let us have a real merit system in which everyone competes on the same playground — whether it is even or sloping — so that winners can be proud that they truly deserve the victory.