The higher education minister, at the Umno annual general assembly last week, reiterated that UiTM is out of bounds to non-bumi students .

I am a bumi, but I would like to see that non-bumi students, too, should enjoy access to all universities in Malaysia. A 25 to 30 percent quota should be allocated for non-bumi students.

At this stage, bumi students should be exposed to a high level of competition in order to bring out the best in them. I have sent my children to Chinese schools and they love the challenge of the competitive spirit prevalent in these schools.

Now that the Ministry for Higher Education has put a 'bumi only' stamp for UiTM, he should make sure that academic standard of UiTM is on par with international standards and the quality and the dedication of its academic staff in teaching and guiding our students is not compromised in any way.

Rumours have wafted into the public domain of unsavoury goings-on in UiTM. That students are not being properly guided in their work/assignments and that lecturers practise favouritism.

Whilst this might just be rumours, but the higher education minister should nonetheless investigate it before things get out of hand.