The ex-Mara Junior Science Colleges Students Association (Ansara) today reiterated its support for the government's move to allow 10 percent of non-Malay students into the exclusively-Malay boarding schools but stressed that it must be done without sacrificing the interest of Malay students.

Its president Mukhriz Mahathir said the presence of non-Malay students will help boost the performance of their Malay counterparts, as well as prepare them to face different cultures in higher learning institutions and the workplace later.

"(Thus), the opening of places to non-Malay students should not be made an issue at all, and this has been practiced since 1974, two years after the first MRSM was set up (in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan)," Mukhriz told a media conference at his office in Kuala Lumpur.

Mukhriz, who is the son of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said Ansara took this stand following a promise by the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) — which runs 32 MRSM nationwide — that the 10 percent quota to non-Malays did not come at the expense of Malay students.

"Instead, (from next year) Mara would provide additional 10 percent places to non-Malay students in order not to affect its original target to produce certain amount of Malay students," said Mukhriz.

On Tuesday, a group of more than 20 Malay-based non-governmental organisations, including Ansara, held a discussion over the issue and told the government to withhold its decision until a proper study is conducted.

The next day, Ansara vice-president Harun Aminulrashid — who was present at the meeting chaired by the Peninsular Malaysia Malay Students Coalition (GPMS) president Suhaimi Ibrahim — clarified that his association did not agree with the call on the government not to implement the new ruling.

Not aware

Meanwhile, Mukhriz said he believed that the issue was raised because "probably they (the other NGOs ) were not aware that MRSM was taking non-Malay students for a long time".

"Maybe the recent announcement (by the prime minister) shocked them," he said, adding that "MRSM students do not need protection from anyone".

"In fact, in the past, the presence of non-Malay students became a factor for Malay students to compete in their studies," he added.

As a result of this, MRSM consistently turned out to be the best institution at the secondary level, judging from its students'outstanding achievements in the SPM examination, he said.

Asked whether the opening of MRSM to other races reflected a threat to the bumiputra special privileges, Mukhriz said he does not think so.

"This is part of the preparation for Malaysians to face bigger challenges in view of globalisation, and the bumiputras should no longer be seen as competing with non-bumiputras," he said.

After Tuesday's meeting, GPMS' Suhaimi told reporters that the ruling to permit non-Malay students will affect the position of Malay students due to limited places.

He claimed that even those from rural areas who met the 5A qualification requirement in their UPSR examination were still not guaranteed a place.

Apart from MRSM, the prime minister has also announced the opening of a 10 percent quota for non-bumiputra students for the matriculation programme beginning next year.