The government has not been consistent in its efforts to promote national integration as a number of its policies run contrary to the objective, a forum in Kuala Lumpur heard yesterday.

Making the statement, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Asiah Abu Samah said the local university entry qualification was one glaring example of such a policy.

"The government is giving mixed signals in this case. On one hand, we have the meritocracy system; on the other, we have the matriculation as well," she told about 100 people at the event.

The meritocracy system is an assessment based on students' exam results on the STPM paper whereas the matriculation is a pre-university course dominated by Malay students.

Another example Asiah cited was the government's introduction of teaching Science and Mathematics in English in all national and national-type schools since 2003.

However, the government agreed to let Chinese school students to learn the two subjects in both Mandarin and English as a "compromise" after objections from Chinese-based ruling parties.

Asiah urged the government to outline a national unity policy. "We don't have a national unity policy. Even in the National Unity Department, they refer to the Rukunegara. What is the mandate of the department?" she asked.

The one-day forum titled Moral Education and National Integration was jointly organised by the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre (MSRC) and the Germany-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Unity in school

Another panelist, Parliamentary Secretary in the Education Ministry P Komala Devi stressed that unity has been emphasised in schools with the introduction of the vision school.

She added that the government recently launched a student's unity guide book known as 'Rimup' to promote national integration among schoolchildren.

However she noted that one of the main challenges faced by her ministry is racial composition in schools, especially when most Chinese students still choose to go to Chinese schools.

Komala added that the government has made the pupil's own language classes as elective languages in national schools in efforts to attract students to national schools.

On the meritocracy system, she admitted there is no level playing field, but that the consideration is the disadvantaged group and not racial.

Narrow perspective

Meanwhile, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Ong Tee Keat who was also on the panel said average Malaysians still tend to scrutinise competitiveness or a particular social problem in narrow ethnic perspective.

He said people should start to ponder whether the interaction among different ethnic groups should just remain on the "superficial" level such as visits during festive seasons or that there is a genuine need for further in-depth understanding.

"We are now merely on a threshold of promoting a greater level of integration," Ong, who is also the outgoing MCA youth chief said.

The forum is moderated by MSRC executive director Abdul Razak Baginda.