I refer to the malaysiakini article regarding calls by Keadilan to reinstate the quota system in order to ensure a fairer enrolment process for Indian Malaysian students in this country.

Let me first state that I acknowledge the fact that something needs to be done in order to ensure a fairer enrolment process for all under the current meritocracy system. It is a well established that the current merit-based system is flawed.

Let me also establish at this point that something needs to be done to help the poor in the Indian Malaysian community as they seem to be getting more and more neglected by our society.

That said, I wish to condemn the call by Keadilan and its youth component to reintroduce the quota system. That call is not tackling the problem at hand. The real problem is as follows:

The entrance requirement for the merit-based system is biased towards those taking matriculation courses. Nobody in their right mind would be able to say that matriculation courses are similar with the more difficult and more established Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM).

The disadvantaged in Malaysian society are not being given enough assistance by the government to gain access to education and this is primarily affecting non-bumiputeras who are unable to get gain access to matriculation programmes.

The problem is not really with the ideals of a system based on meritocracy but rather with a government which wants to mask its race based polices under the shadows of a merit- based system. Let's face it, bumiputras are having it much easier to enter local universities because the education minister refuses to acknowledge the disparities in the level of difficulty between STPM and matriculation courses. Hence the problem doesn't lie with a merit-based system, but rather with the manipulation of results to suit the government's political goals.

We should be fighting for:

  • Standardisation of an entrance examination where all Malaysians have to sit for a common paper which is of equal standard. Only when all students sit for the same examination can the playing field be levelled. Emulating the common entrance examination system which countries like India and Korea have should be our goal.

  • Setting aside 10 to 30 percent of the places offered for disadvantaged and poor students. These places should be offered to all citizens who are poor and deserving regardless of race or creed. This form of affirmative action is universally accepted as it helps the poor in a society to progress.

    • The merit-based system is essential to ensure the progress of Malaysian society. Flawed as it may be currently, it is a big leap forward towards eradicating the mentality that race comes first in Malaysia. It is one of the biggest political symbols stating that policies based on race are unjust and can be detrimental to the our society.

    Calls to abolish such a big step forward in Malaysian society are not only ridiculous but also dangerous as they go against Keadilan's ideals of ensuring justice for all.

    The malaysiakini article clearly highlighted that Keadilan vice-president Dr Xavier Jeyakumar and his colleagues knew of the problems created by the current system. Their solution, however, is certainly barking up the wrong tree.

    Let us not ' gostan ' (backtrack) from what has already been achieved. It would be a total shame to disregard the sacrifices of individuals and organisations who have so strongly fought against a discriminatory system based on race and go back to the quota system for short-term gains.

    Reinstating the quota system is definitely not the answer to the woes the Indian Malaysian students are currently facing. Reformasi!