PM Anwar’s announcement that non-Malays who get 10As can enrol into matriculation programme is meaningless while current 90% bumi quota is still in place
The big question that was unaddressed by Anwar is the obvious disproportionate quota for matriculation enrolment, between Bumiputra and non-Malay students. That disproportion is unconstitutional and contrary to Article 153 of the Constitution as has been repeatedly pointed out by legal experts and ignored by successive Malaysian governments.
Lawyers for Liberty
We refer to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement on Sunday that the government will be lifting the racial barrier for matriculation for non-Malay SPM top-scorers who get 10As to further their studies in matriculation programmes.
This was announced as if a great concession had been made to non-Malay students. In fact, it is nothing of the sort.
The big question that was unaddressed by Anwar is the obvious disproportionate quota for matriculation enrolment, between Bumiputra and non-Malay students. That disproportion is unconstitutional and contrary to Article 153 of the Constitution as has been repeatedly pointed out by legal experts and ignored by successive Malaysian governments.
The current quota that allocates 90% of matriculation spots only for bumiputeras can never be constitutionally justified as it massively favours the bumiputera over the non-bumiputeras. This cannot be deemed as a ‘reasonable proportion’ as clearly provided in Article 153; it unreasonably disregards the rights of the non-bumiputeras to education.
Sunday’s announcement, though sold as something new and progressive, is decidedly not so. The current matriculation programme only allocates 10% of its enrollment to non-bumiputeras. As it stands, considering the small number of spots open for the non-bumiputeras, this would of course have already included those who got 10As for their SPM. This then begs the question as to how this announcement remedies or ameliorates the unjust quota system that is now existing.
It is greatly disappointing that the ‘reformist’ PM has shown no concern for the structural racism embedded into the matriculation programme as a result of the current racial quota for the matriculation programme.
Stating that non-bumiputeras who excel are eligible for matriculation is not novel; that is the status quo. Further, by saying that only those who achieve 10A’s and above for SPM will be given the opportunity to join the matriculation programmes ignores the fact that only a handful of students actually take 10 subjects to begin with. It merely creates yet another barrier of entry for the non-bumiputeras into tertiary education.
And what about outstanding non-Bumi students who get 9As, 8As or 7As? Anwar’s announcement leaves them out in the cold. Do they not deserve to get a place in matriculation? Should they be punished and denied places in matriculation because of their skin colour?
Though this announcement was purportedly made to ease racial tensions on this issue, it is not only meaningless since the current racial quota is maintained, but is deceitful as the constitutionality of the current quota is unaddressed.
There is nothing bold about this decision by the Madani government as it cowers in fear of Malay conservatives, to the detriment of non-bumiputeras as they perpetuate the same violation of Article 153 of the Constitution as their predecessor governments.
If the Madani government truly strives for fairness in the enrollment into the matriculation programme, they must acknowledge the current quota is unreasonable, disproportionate and thus unconstitutional. Any announcement by the government that pledged a fairer share of educational places for non-bumiputeras would only have any meaning if the current quota is reviewed. This must be done by Anwar and his government, as the current quota system is unfair, unlawful and will draw comparisons with the apartheid system.
