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LETTER | I refer to Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy’s article on meritocracy.

Nothing is more startling than a former academician failing to grasp the basic notion behind the imposition of an ethnic quota-based student intake in our tertiary education system.

Whenever Ramasamy and his potentates speak out, we are barraged with rash opinions. This epidemic of constant onslaught has probably distorted our friends from the opposition inhibiting their abilities to make a positive impact in the community. They are gearing towards the elections, after all.

But let’s find out the actual reason behind the ethnic quota-based intake, and why it is crucial at this point of time, especially for our young Indians.

Let me start off with some figures. For the 2017 public universities intake, a total of 3,404 applications were received from the Indian community. Of these, 2,934 Indian students were qualified.

However, only 2,199 Indian students were given places at universities by the Ministry of Higher Education. Through appeals put forward, an additional 735 Indian students were offered seats in the following intake.

This makes it a 100 percent intake of qualified Indian students in public universities.

The comparatively low rates in applying and qualifying for public universities corroborates the fact of underperformance among Indian students at secondary and even primary levels.

The situation is exacerbated by cases where students come from underprivileged homes, dysfunctional families with the lack of parental guidance and support, financial constraints and many more.

As a result, improving Indian performance at all levels is essential to ensure that we enrich a child and encourage his/her education progress up to the tertiary level.

On this score, we need to back students from challenged conditions, particularly those who have surpassed the prospect of being moulded from an earlier stage.

Therefore, the ethnic quota system is for them, to ensure they are provided with equal access to quality knowledge and learning, all towards equipping them with critical skills to stay relevant in the market.

Far from being “demeaning” as purported by Ramasamy, the situation heightens the need to address existing on-the-ground difficulties, get to the crux of the matter and to roll out intervening action plans that are target-specific.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has one main goal, to increase the proportion of Indians in tertiary or further education and training. The recent announcement in budget 2018 of a minimum seven percent intake into public universities is a commitment that has been well-received within the Indian community.

While I believe the ethnic quota system is not the key solution to resolve the many issues that Malaysian Indians face, the ethnic quota system goes hand in hand with interventions happening even at pre-school and primary levels – for both Tamil and national schools.

This is not about ignoring or minimising the major issues we still face as a community. It’s about countering the romanticised inheritance of the past, from a previous leader who for the longest time was treated as a like a cult figure.

If Ramasamy and his ilk want to know more about the race-based agenda in the country, he doesn’t have to go far to seek enlightenment; the architect now leads his team.


The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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