I CONCUR with the Parent Action Group on Education (PAGE) that there is nothing magical about the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim that students with 10As and above will be admitted in the matriculation programme without the use of racial or religious criteria.

For Anwar, such a move was to reduce ethnic tensions resulting from the application of the quota system of admission.

The quota system of admission to the matriculation programme is based on the rational of 90% Bumiputera and 10% non-Bumiputera made up mainly of Chinese and Indians.

This mean that out of the 40,000 matriculation places, Bumiputera will get around 36,000 while around 3,600 places will be up for grabs by the non-Malays - presumably 2,200 for the Chinese and 1,400 for Indians.

The new system of admission for the top scorers (10As), does not make sense because the present quota system already takes care of students with high grades.

Moreover, there is a likelihood that students with 9As and above might get scholarships. Or those coming from well-to-do families might opt for overseas education.

The quota-based matriculation system and the recent merit-based one duplicate each other as those with high SPM scorers can still enter the matriculation programme through the former.

I am not sure who was the genius who came with the high score merit scheme which has no meaning.

PMX’s pure rhetoric

Top SPM scorers might not have problem in gaining admission under the ethnic quota system. Then, why is the need for the new merit system for SPM high scorers?

While the affirmative action principle operates for the Bumiputra under the quota system, such principle is not applicable for the Chinese and more importantly for financially challenged Indian students.

Apart from the Bumiputera, Indian students from poor socio-economic background need assistance in the form of affirmative action. In other words, these students can be admitted on the basis of lower scores.

The newly introduced merit system has no place for students who are not top scorers to vie for places in the matriculation programme.

I am amazed that Anwar would go into a quick fix of the tensions arising from the present operation of the matriculation system based on ethnic quota.

Unfortunately, the merit policy for top scorers of the SPM examination to enter into the matriculation programme is no fix at all.

Rather than coming out cosmetic changes, the Madani government should focus on how to dismantle the present quota system of admission to be eventually replaced by the merit system.

The bottom line is that Anwar dare not introduce reforms in the educational sector simply because of the pressing need to appease the Malay nationalists.

In brief, he wants to prolong his stay as the Prime Minister for the rest of the term. - July 5, 2024

Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

https://focusmalaysia.my/ramasamy-pmxs-new-admission-merit-system-to-matric-programme-is-no-quick-fix-to-racial-tensions/