What about racial imbalance in civil service, DAP man asks Maszlee

(FMT) – DAP’s P Ramasamy today criticised Education Minister Maszlee Malik for linking the quota system in the government’s matriculation programme with trends in the employment market, saying the minister appears “entrapped” along racial lines.

Calling it shocking for Maszlee to link the two issues, Ramasamy who is Penang deputy chief minister II said any issue regarding Bumiputera employment in the private sector should be taken to the Cabinet for a solution to be raised.

Ramasamy said by the same logic, the minister ought to look at the racial imbalance in the civil service, where the Bumiputera form the majority in government offices.

He added that a recent survey had shown that the Indians face the most discrimination in both the public and private sectors.

Maszlee told a student forum yesterday that the quota system would remain until the government successfully addresses the racial imbalance of students pursuing higher studies, and until the job market is more fair to hiring Bumiputera graduates.

He claimed the job market has been discriminating against non-Mandarin speakers as well as those wearing the Muslim headscarf.

Ramasamy questioned Maszlee’s motive in raising the issue, asking if the minister was seeking to score “political points in a predominantly Malay crowd”.

“After Pakatan Harapan won, some of us thought the racial policies in education and other areas would belong to the bygone era.

“But now, there is a realisation that some of our ministers like Maszlee are no different from the Barisan National-era politicians who used race and religion to ensure their political survival.”