Edward Wong Not The Issue It S Something Buried Deep In Society

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It looks like Edward Wong and his failure to get into the university and a bachelor’s degree of his choice is now a hot discussion in the media and by those in the political sphere.
Getting straight A’s and a CGPA of 4.0 in his STPM examinations, he was given only his fifth choice under the centralised public university admissions system (UPU) application.
To be fair, Wong (above) didn’t ask for the limelight. He just applied for university, got his alternative choice, and somehow ended up being paraded around as Malaysia’s poster child for injustice.
And all because of that magical word: meritocracy, which is one of those words some of our leaders and public love to toss around.
There is a reason why, and to know what that is, one must be familiar with its context in Malaysia. It is also quite closely linked to race relations and the social contract of the country since independence, right up till today (thanks to colonisation!). Basically, if you know, you know.
I believe that if we had implemented true meritocracy from the beginning, like when university placements were first being given out, Wong’s case wouldn’t even exist. Nobody would be debating whether he “deserved” his university request or not, because the rankings would be clear, transparent, and brutally fair.
Someone like Wong would’ve looked at the list, seen exactly where he stood, and understood that he is actually just in the middle of the pack. Someone like Wong would have to accept his alternative choice. End of story. No headlines, no hashtags, no politicians calling for justice.
Part of my opinion is that the real problem in Malaysia is that we like to believe straight A’s are the pinnacle of success. But these days, year after year, I notice that A’s are everywhere. They’re like a datukship. You throw a stone, and it’s bound to hit someone who has the title in front of their name.
That’s why schools and universities don’t just look at grades anymore. They look at a more holistic evaluation. Basically, those who evaluate applications will ask if you can do something other than memorise facts and regurgitate them in an exam hall. They’re looking for more well-rounded individuals.
Meritocracy
While someone like Wong had good grades, others had good grades and sports medals, leadership positions, debate trophies, community projects, maybe even a successful TikTok business selling sambal or power banks. So, although Wong was good, he probably just wasn’t in the very top percentile.
If true meritocracy had existed all along, everyone would already understand this. Parents would know. Students would know. Politicians would know. And Wong’s story wouldn’t have ballooned into what it has become. It would just be how it is, and no one would give a second thought to it. They would just move on.
We also need to note that Wong wasn’t thrown away, never to receive an education. He was offered his alternative choice, and this means that somewhere on his application, he consciously made a second, third, fourth and maybe even fifth choice as a backup in case he couldn’t get his first choice.
It’s like when my family and I go for a meal at a food court and my daughter would ask me to order for her a plate of fried rice. I would always ask her what she would want if the fried rice stall were closed.
She would always say that it would be chicken rice, and if that is what she got, she would understand why and would be okay with it.
But I guess this story was just too good to be passed up by politicians who are ever ready to jump on how the system is broken. Sure, they have a right to voice out and criticise if something is broken, but it has to be really broken and not engineered to sound like it was broken through criticism.
Edward Wong and MCA president Wee Ka SiongIf meritocracy had been implemented from the beginning, politicians wouldn’t have this stage to play on. There would be no ambiguity, no loophole for outrage, no opportunity for dramatic press conferences. Just a transparent list showing how the ranking was done and why Wong was placed where he was.
In such a competitive environment, we need to realise that it isn’t true anymore that everyone who works hard gets to achieve their dreams. It really means that only the very best get their dream and the rest would have to just accept reality, adapt and make the best of what has been offered.
If Malaysia had accepted this reality a long time ago, we’d all understand that Wong’s case is not unusual. He’s not a victim of injustice. He’s just one of many smart students who didn’t quite make it for first place. And that’s totally fine. That’s life. Not everyone can be number one.
Weaponising Wong’s case
The sad part about all this isn’t about Wong not getting his first choice in his university application. What is sad is that we are still living in a society that is so problematic that we can’t easily settle these issues without a fuss.
If we did, nobody could weaponise Wong’s case. Politicians wouldn’t be able to manipulate it to suit their own narratives. Students wouldn’t be left wondering if the system is biased. Parents wouldn’t be publicly angry.
At the end of the day, I also don’t think that it is fair if everyone makes Wong a scapegoat and criticises him. He is a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He will be fine. He still has a university placement. He still has opportunities. He still has a future, which is quite bright.
Now take note of my words. I’m not saying that we don’t implement meritocracy today, but if we had implemented it from the beginning, none of this would be happening. Wong’s placement would be seen as fair.
Politicians would have to find another prop. And maybe we could focus on bigger issues, like how to ensure all students, and not just the conveniently accessible ones, get a fair shot.
Until then, we would have to accept that Wong’s case won’t be the last. Every year, another Wong will appear, and another angry trend is highlighted. And we’ll pretend all over again that the problem is the trend when it is the symptom.
The real problem is that we have a society that really needs fixing when it comes to its perception of meritocracy, race relations and social contract. - Mkini
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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