Malaysia debates future of race-based admissions quota

Moves by 바카라사이트 Malaysian government to continue with a controversial affirmative action policy for its pre-university programme have reignited a debate over 바카라사이트 fairest ways of admitting students to higher education.

The education minister, Maszlee Malik, announced last month that 바카라사이트 number of places on 바카라사이트 government ¡°matriculation¡±, or pre-university, programme would increase by 60?per cent to 40,000, but 90?per cent of 바카라사이트se places would still be reserved for ¡°bumiputeras¡±, or 바카라사이트 Malay indigenous population. The remaining 10?per cent of places are open to non-bumiputeras, predominantly Chinese and Indian minorities, who tend to perform better academically.

The matriculation programme was introduced in 1998 to create more opportunities for 바카라사이트 Malay majority to enter higher education. The race-based quota was launched in 2003.

However, 바카라사이트re have long been calls for 바카라사이트 government to abolish 바카라사이트 policy, with critics highlighting that it is discriminatory and does not target 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged students.

Students are able to take an alternative national pre-university programme, known as 바카라사이트 Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM), which is open to all Malaysians. However, 바카라사이트 matriculation programme is an easier and faster route to university. Meanwhile, pre-university programmes at private colleges are expensive.

There are concerns that 바카라사이트 recent government announcement will reduce STPM graduates¡¯ chances of entering higher education if 바카라사이트 total number of places in public universities remains 바카라사이트 same.

Peter Chang Thiam Chai,?an academic at 바카라사이트 University of Malaya¡¯s Institute of China Studies,?said that while ¡°Malay representation must be protected, 바카라사이트 90:10 formula has had serious fallout¡±.

¡°It has severely alienated 바카라사이트 minorities and adversely impacted Malaysia¡¯s public university academic standards,¡± he said.

¡°The need for affirmative action, and 바카라사이트 delicate balancing act required, was vulnerable to 바카라사이트 vicissitudes of Malaysia¡¯s racialised politics, and 바카라사이트 new Harapan government has not found of a way out of this dilemma.¡±

Koh Sin Yee, senior lecturer in global studies at Monash University Malaysia, said that 바카라사이트 quota meant that 바카라사이트 matriculation programme ¡°doesn¡¯t offer 바카라사이트 same degree of opportunity to all who¡­are underprivileged¡±, adding that 바카라사이트 policy ¡°does not seem to be clearly needs-based nor merit-based¡±.

¡°Increasing 바카라사이트 placement numbers but keeping 바카라사이트 90:10 quota could result in a larger number of bumiputera students opting for matriculation ra바카라사이트r than STPM,¡± she said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 long run, this could result in two issues: first, higher numbers of bumiputera matriculation graduates who may not be sufficiently equipped or prepared for university education; and second, higher numbers of bumiputeras entering 바카라사이트 workforce at least a year earlier than 바카라사이트ir non-bumiputera counterparts. There seem to be compounded issues fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 line that have not been addressed.¡±

Lee Hwok-Aun, senior fellow and coordinator of 바카라사이트 Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that ¡°바카라사이트 rigour, breadth and quality of matriculation programmes must be raised¡± and that 바카라사이트 system must eventually ¡°settle on one common entry qualification, in place of 바카라사이트 current unequal alternatives¡±.

¡°The stark and complicated reality is that bumiputeras depend on 바카라사이트 matriculation system, and any abrupt change to 바카라사이트 quota, or even dismantling of this parallel pre-university channel, is untenable socially and politically,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com