Open education convention to all ethnic groups, NGO proposes

comments     Yusof Ghani     Published     Updated

A group representing more than 40 Indian-based non-governmental organisations is keen to take part in an education convention to be organised by the Peninsular Malaysia Malay Students Foundation (GPMS) on June 15.

The Group of Concerned Citizens believes that Malay and Indian communities face similar problems in regard to education, but stressed that an all-round solution is required.

"Rather than finding a 'Malay solution', 'Indian solution', or 'Chinese solution', why don't we sit together and find a 'Malaysian solution' for all," its coordinator, Charles Santiago, told malaysiakini yesterday.

"It will be great if we could make that meeting into a dialogue among members of a civil society," he added.

Santiago, an economist and human rights activist, said the idea was mooted in the group's meeting yesterday on the plight of Indian Malaysian students, particularly after the implementation of the 'merit'-based admission into public universities which produced an Indian Malaysian intake of only 4.7 percent.

The group has been very critical of the merit-based system implemented this year, and blamed the discrepancies in implementation for the sharp decline in Indian Malaysian intake.

Santiago said Malay and Indian students share a common feature in that their backgrounds are mostly poor, and that education is the only means through which they can climb the social ladder.

He added that while there are also poor Chinese in Malaysia who are facing similar problems, their numbers are small in comparison with those of the other ethnic groups. However, the problems of the Chinese poor also need to be looked into, he said.

"Perhaps, if other ethnic groups are also invited, the forum can be used to understand each other better by sharing knowledge in finding a solution for all (Malaysians)," he suggested.

Feedback for Mahathir

On Tuesday, GPMS president Suhaimi Ibrahim announced that the organisation is planning to hold a convention on education and its challenges to Malay students, at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi, Selangor.

The convention aims to obtain information about the performance of Malay students, which will form the basis of a decision by Malay NGOs and academicians on the call by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for a 10 percent quota for non-Malay students in Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM) and the Matriculation Programme, currently reserved for bumiputra students.

The conclusions from the convention which will also discuss other issues that are plaguing Malay students, will be forwarded to Mahathir.

Suhaimi could not be reached for comment on the suggestion by the Group of Concerned Citizens to open the convention to all ethnic groups.



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