Can rural students compete, don asks after S'wak scraps university quota

A meritocratic-based admission to universities is laudable, but Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is concerned about students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In the context of Sarawak, whose government has decided to abolish the quota system in its universities, he pondered the implications for students from rural areas.

“Are these students from the interior and various tribes on equal footing with their urban peers?

“Do they have the same access to the tools that improve their academic performance therefore making it fair for them to compete in a merit-based environment? I am worried about their future,” he told Malaysiakini.

Quota system abused for votes

The professor of architecture said the quota system was introduced for social engineering purposes but was abused and weaponised in the hands of politicians.

“The quota system was for admitting students from remote areas where obtaining even basic education was a challenge.

“It was designed to provide these students with the opportunities to improve their lives and that of their families.

“This was a noble aim. However, it was turned into a racial weapon of politics for getting votes by politicians,” he added.

Citing Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) as an example, Tajuddin said scores of students from the high-income T20 families have been granted admission.

“This was not supposed to happen, but it did because it provided a clarion call for race-based parties to win elections by pandering to populist and identity politics,” he added.

Recalling a chapter from Sarawak governor Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s book, he said the latter had spoken of how a teacher travelled deep into the jungle to recruit students for a special class so that they could compete with their more affluent peers from urban areas.

“The story is also the same for our own national cartoonist Mohammad Nor Mohammad Khalid better known as Lat, who came from humble beginnings,” he added.

Compete to succeed

Yesterday, Sarawak’s Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee said only the best of the best would be selected to pursue their education in five of the state-owned universities.

“Students must realise the importance of competition to pursue their studies in university,” he added.

The five universities are Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak, i-Cats University College, and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak.

To ensure that rural students can gain admission to these universities, Annuar said the Sarawak government is upgrading their facilities, which includes spending RM15 million yearly to provide free tuition for Form 3 and 5 students.

The quota system was introduced through the New Economic Policy in the 1970s, following the May 13 racial riots in 1969, to increase bumiputera participation in higher education and business.

In 2002, the government abolished race-based admissions to public universities but the quota system remained in the matriculation colleges with a 90 percent quota for bumiputera, while certain foundation courses are exclusively for bumiputera.

Last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the quota system should be retained to maintain the racial balance.

"If we do away with that now, we will see the disparities which had taken place in Universiti Malaya during the 1970s and 1960s,” said the former student leader.

On the same note, the prime minister said efforts must be taken to ensure that high-achieving non-bumiputera students are not denied a fair chance of securing a place in local universities.

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