The claim that Malays are being marginalised in Penang could not be attributed to its chief minister alone as it was due to the entire 'rotten' Barisan Nasional system, said ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

"It is time to change the (BN's) political system and its rotten propaganda," Anwar told an audience of over 400 attending his public lecture on 'The future of Malaysia and ethnic relations' in Kuala Lumpur last night.

"Whoever is good can be the chief minister, it is only fair. The problems in the state is not due to the chief minister but it is the practice of the BN system," added the former No 2 Umno leader, who also hails from Penang.

Anwar was responding to a question from the floor over the recent controversy in the state stirred up by Umno Youth leaders, who claimed the Malays in the state have been marginalised in the state.

Following that, the youth wing called for the rotation of the chief minister's post currently held by Dr Koh Tsu Koon but it was later turned down by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Koh is also the deputy president of predominantly Chinese party Gerakan, which is the key ruling party in the state Barisan Nasional coalition.

Elaborating, Anwar said it was unfair to point the fingers at Koh for every problem in the state. He argued that the majority of the 33 percent of the Malay population in Penang enjoy relatively good conditions in lifestyle, facilities and distribution of resources.

He drew a comparison with the protracting poverty problem in neighbouring Kedah's Baling.

"The Kedah menteri besar is a Malay, yet poverty among the Malay community still exists. Why not they (Umno Youth leaders) ask for a change of the menteri besar as well?" asked Anwar, who is currently the adviser to opposition PKR.

Education woes

In his ethnic relations lecture, Anwar called for the spirt of justice to be upheld in the areas of economy, education, politics, language and religion.

He pointed out the predicament of Chinese Malaysians who obtained excellent results but could not get access to university or offered the course of their choice in local universities.

"Chinese Malaysian students who scored 9A1s in their SPM failed to get the courses they wish to study in their desired university. This is obviously not fair," he lamented, adding that this showed the failure of the current education policy.

"The system should be changed and should make ways for all races. They should be given the priorities to receive quality and affordable education, this is what I called 'democratisation of access' to quality education," he noted.

Anwar also claimed the 15 local public universities are led by 'so-called Malay intellectuals' who prohibit students to read books that will provoke critical thinking.

Meanwhile, he condemned the action of undergraduates in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) who harassed another group of fellow students. He said that such an incident should not have happened at an university.

Last night's lecture is the final of a series of alternative ethnic relations course in the version of civil societies after a UPM ethnic relation guidebook irked the public over its offensive remarks. The book was withdrawn later.

The event was organised by youth group Youth For Change.