Push To Restore Matriculation To Affirmative Action Roots Umany Told

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The Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) should push for the matriculation system to return to its original principle of affirmative action, said Urimai chairperson P Ramasamy.
The former political science lecturer argued that this would expand opportunities for poor students of all backgrounds, including Chinese and Indians.
“Malaysia’s public universities can and should maintain multiple entry pathways. Flexibility in admission systems is necessary, provided it does not compromise educational quality.
“The matriculation system was originally introduced to address the plight of rural Malays who could not compete with their wealthier urban counterparts. It was designed as a form of affirmative action,” he said in a statement.
Over the years, however, Ramasamy said the system drifted from its initial purpose. Instead of uplifting disadvantaged students across ethnic lines, it became “a racially skewed mechanism” serving mainly Malay students especially the children of political and bureaucratic elites.
Although a token 10 percent of places were allocated to Chinese and Indian students, he said this did little to correct the imbalance.
“Still, it is undeniable that the matriculation programme enabled many poor Malays to pursue higher education opportunities that might otherwise have been closed to them,” he noted.
Defend your stance
Ramasamy also criticised Umany for “retreating in the face of strong criticisms, especially from right-wing forces,” instead of holding firm on its concerns about public university admissions.
Urimai chairperson P RamasamyHe cautioned that Umany cannot simply reject the matriculation system by proposing the more demanding STPM as its replacement.
“While progressive alternatives to both the matriculation and STPM systems are worth exploring, it remains uncertain how a merger of the two could result in a workable hybrid. Moreover, STPM itself is far from friendly to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
“Thus, rather than retreating, Umany should have defended its stance with consistency and clarity. If it truly believes in reform, it must withstand political attacks and not dilute its position under pressure,” he said.
Yesterday, Umany apologised for an earlier proposal to “abolish” the matriculation system, saying it had used the wrong term to describe its plan for a merger with the STPM examination.
It also stressed that the proposed “integrated examination system” was not racially motivated but aimed at creating a fairer, more transparent admissions process.
On Sept 12, Umany submitted a memorandum to the Higher Education Ministry outlining its proposal, in the wake of media reports on STPM leaver Edward Wong - who scored a perfect 4.0 CGPA but was rejected by six public universities despite his ambition to become an accountant. - Mkini

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