Matriculation debate highlights need to stop racialising issues - academic

Education Minister Maszlee Malik's attempt to justify the racial quota in the matriculation programme has earned him brickbats, but the episode also highlighted existing divisions within society.

Political analyst Wong Chin Huat believes that the outcry over Maszlee’s handling of the matriculation debate points to prevailing political-racial divisions, and urged a reconfiguration.

“The showdown may make both sides – Maszlee and Bersatu on one side, Harapan leaders who slam him on the other side – stronger in their respective communities," he said in a Facebook post.

“If that ironically strengthens Harapan’s support, it will also make Harapan resemble BN more – a cynical alliance built on distrust and symbiosis.

“It's time we seriously reflect how we should have our political divisions structured."

At a recent dialogue, Maszlee acknowledged abuses in the matriculation quota system, and promised to fix it by ensuring that only the deserving would benefit.

However, the minister came under fire for then linking the quota to job applicants being discriminated for not knowing Mandarin, and by saying that non-bumiputera dominated private tertiary education because they were generally more well-off.

Maszlee, who sits on the Bersatu supreme council, even courted strong opposition from his Pakatan Harapan colleagues, particularly DAP.

In the wake of his remarks, two petitions – one demanding his replacement and another supporting him – have both garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

Socioeconomic approach

Rather than look at issues through a racial lens alone, Wong, a senior fellow of the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development, said that Harapan should address issues based on socioeconomic class.

“Socioeconomic class should inform where the state lends its aid, and what it should prioritise," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

"But what we have instead (is the) lazy and dishonest generalisation that one category is rich and the other is poor.

"It is important to break down the bumiputera and non-bumiputera (matriculation) quota by social class, to ensure that the socioeconomically most needy B40, amongst the politically most powerful group – the bumiputera – are securely taken care of, and so that discontent over changes may be reduced."

This way of explaining and addressing issues, Wong added, would help “dilute” communal divisions on the ground.

Furthermore, it would save Harapan from falling into the trap of becoming another BN – with component parties distrustful of each other and rallying support from different ethnic groups, despite remaining in the same coalition for political expediency.

Be honest about constraints

Wong also suggested that Maszlee could have saved himself much criticism if he had been more upfront about the political constraints Harapan faced with matriculation, instead of complicating matters by linking it to other issues.

“He should have talked about the 'shared prosperity' (for 2030) more. He could (have) explained honestly the government's political constraints," the analyst said.

“By linking the quota to another complex issue of Mandarin mastery as a job requirement, he is digging a bigger hole for Harapan.

“And by generalising that non-bumiputera send their kids to private institutions, he hurts deeply poor non-bumiputera students who were denied places in public universities, and their parents who had to mortgage their homes to school their kids."

Wong admitted that the education portfolio is “among the toughest political jobs,” as Malaysians remain deeply divided over the issue.

"Maszlee tries hard to play the balancing act well, but his tendency to talk too much – perhaps carried forward from his past experience as a TV talk show guest – always courts him controversies that overshadow his work.

"Perhaps he should remind himself to say just enough on any topic."

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