INTERVIEW | The debate over the possibility of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) lifting its racial restrictions continues, with a PKR leader questioning whether the institution currently takes in bumiputera students only.

"I do not agree that UiTM is 100 percent bumiputera, as it has been accepting international students since day one," said PKR deputy youth chief Dr Afif Bahardin in an interview with Malaysiakini.

"Since I was a graduate of UiTM, there have been international students," noted Afif, 33.

"So in what sense do you say that UiTM is 100 percent bumiputera?" asked the Penang executive councillor on health, agriculture and rural development.

Afif noted that the original purpose of UiTM was to promote, provide access to, and uplift the education of rural students, which the institution had succeeded in doing to a certain degree.

While it continues to provide education to bumiputeras, UiTM needs to consider related issues like the intake of students, Afif said.

He also highlighted Intec Education College, a UiTM-supported preparation school for students heading overseas in Shah Alam, Selangor, which accepts non-bumiputera students.

"So we have to be honest, and do not say that UiTM is 100 percent bumiputera," said the PKR Seberang Jaya assemblyperson.

"There is a need to review whether we want to open UiTM to non-bumiputera or maintain it, because if we do not study it, it is not fair as we have also accepted international students into the institution, and we do accept non-bumiputeras in Intec."

Afif was responding to several quarters who have insisted that the Selangor-based tertiary institution should remain open only to bumiputeras.

Last month, a petition to reject any attempt to open the university to all races, initiated by UiTM Alumni Association president-cum-Utusan Malaysia assistant chief editor Zaini Hassan, garnered 105,725 signatories in 24 hours.

This was in response to a 25-point memorandum sent by the Hindu Rights Action Group (Hindraf) 2.0 to the Institutional Reforms Committee to urge the new Pakatan Harapan government to look into the plight of the bottom 75 percent of the Indian community.

One of their demands included opening up institutions of higher learning like UiTM to the Indian community.

Profits vs students' interests

Afif dismissed the notion that the issue of UiTM should not be politicised, saying the institution had always been a political institution, since its inception in 1974.

He admitted that he is very attached to UiTM, as he and his brother had studied there, while his parents lecture in the school.

He said the family used to live next to the UiTM building in Shah Alam, and the institution brings homes many good memories.

He does not discount the fact that the function and role of UiTM is very commendable.

"However, there are certain quarters who supposedly want to defend UiTM but are doing it for the sake of personal profits, not for the students’ interest," he said.

He pointed to the outsourcing of UiTM construction projects to private companies.

PKR’s Rafizi Ramli had exposed the projects in 2014, with build-and-rent concession agreements allegedly given to Umno cronies to construct six UiTM campuses.

BN had allegedly signed 23-year agreements for these projects, with RM8.6 billion to be paid in yearly rental.

"Where is the logic to defend UiTM when there are people doing it for profits?

"The burden is not only on the government but on the whole rakyat and students, so it is better to study these than to fight whether the institution should be open to non-Malay or non-Muslim students when it is already accepting international students from all nationalities and religion," Afif said.

Defending bumiputera institutions

Meanwhile, Afif said Pakatan Harapan is committed to defending all bumiputera institutions and enterprises in Malaysia.

However, he added that defending these did not mean condoning wrongdoing and misconduct.

Bumiputera institutions like UiTM will continue to exist but there is a need for such entities to return to the original meaning and purpose of their existence, Afif said.

All forms of wrongdoings and misconduct in these institutions must be probed and those who are involved must be brought to justice, he added.

"Any diversion of the original meaning and purpose of the institutions must be restored," he stressed.