Khalid Ibrahim, menteri besar of Selangor, has been severely criticised by UiTM students and its vice-chancellor and the BN-government for suggesting that 10% of the places in the university be opened to non-Malays.

The local media, particularly the Malay media, has spared no efforts in lending full support to these groups in portraying Khalid as a ‘traitor’ to the Malays, etc. Over in cyberspace, bloggers and a whole host of others are showing overwhelming support for the Selangor menteri besar in his call. Let us examine the realities.

Assume UiTM offers 10% of places to non-Malays and continues to function as it is currently: Who will take up the 10%? Not the brightest non-Malays. If the brightest can't afford the cost of going overseas to US, UK, Australia, etc, or pay the high fees charged by overseas universities operating in Malaysia (Nottingham, Monash, etc.) and well-regarded twinning programmes offered by private institutions, they will apply to the better-reputed local public universities.

And even if they get offers from the top Malaysian universities such as UM and USM, they will reject these offers if they are accepted into similar or equivalent disciplines by Singapore's universities (NUS and NTU), even though that would mean higher costs and being bonded for a few years.

Hundreds if not thousands of top STPM/UEC students head for Singapore every year and this number includes a few Malays, too.

It is clear that top and above-average non-Malays will not apply to the current UiTM. Will any parent send his/her smart son/daughter to a university with students of the type that demonstrated against Khalid Ibrahim for his reasonable suggestion? Will any parent want his/her children to be taught and mentored by professors who are more politician and less academician, if one is to make a judgement on the quality of UiTM faculty members based on their VC's politically - motivated illogical response to the Selangor menteri besar?

Even the average and below average non-Malay students are unlikely to apply to UiTM. This scenario can be deduced from the fact that more than 90% of the Chinese send their children to Chinese primary and secondary schools rather than to the national (‘kebangsaan’) schools. This appears to be also true for the Indians who prefer to send their children to Tamil primary schools rather than the national primary schools.

Why? Because of the quality of education in the Chinese schools. Another major reason is to avoid racial prejudice, racist practices and racism, such as that encountered by some Indian pupils at the SM Telok Panglima Garang in Banting recently.

At best, only the mediocre and below average non-Malay students are the ones who may apply to the current UiTM if it opens up. Will UiTM admit them? Unlikely - UiTM officials will take great pleasure in announcing that are ‘not enough qualified applications were received from non- Malays’. In other words, the 10% will not get filled up if it is offered.

Hence, please stop wasting your time and effort in making those irrelevant demands to UiTM and the BN government to open up UiTM to non-Malays.

A major transformation of not only UiTM but also the other public universities is needed. Open up more universities and places to accommodate all qualified applicants - no deserving Malay should be denied a place in a university, and similarly no deserving non-Malay should also be denied a place.

Enrol students based on merit but give due consideration to those from disadvantaged background and rural areas. Employ faculty members on the basis of their capability and excellence, and not race - in general, the disciple can only be as good as the guru, at least in the initial stages.

Transform tertiary education in Malaysia by developing all qualified Malaysians regardless of race and religion for the benefit of the nation. Malays, as the majority, will be the biggest beneficiary of such a strategy.