SHAH ALAM – Students at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam are split in their opinion of the student representative council’s (MPP) stance on prohibiting non-Bumiputera from enrolling in the institution.
This comes as a sizable number of students donned black attire today to show their solidarity with the MPP’s stance, while others wore white clothing in apparent opposition.
The black clothing protest comes after the MPP issued a statement rejecting the push to admit non-Bumiputera students amid a national shortage of medical specialists.
Muhammad Rais Rashid, a 21-year-old biology student, said that UiTM’s sole purpose is to create a platform for Bumiputera and should remain that way.
“This is the only platform left for Bumiputera, and the sole purpose of creating this university is to help Bumiputera. We should maintain that objective and support Bumiputera in UiTM,” he told Scoop.
Rais also said that the government should find alternative solutions instead of using UiTM.
“I understand the argument for meeting public needs, but much can be done. The government and private universities can come up with different solutions. Why must it be UiTM?
“I think since UiTM is known for its cheap tuition fees, some might want to exploit that. If given a little chance, they might ask for more until it becomes excessive,” he said.
Ibnu Mustaqim Adevin, a 22-year-old applied sciences student, said that the inclusion of non-Bumiputera in UiTM could jeopardise the opportunities for students from Sabah and Sarawak.
“It disturbs the rights of the Bumiputera in UiTM, especially for me as I am from Sabah. If there are different races at this university, it will be difficult for us from Sabah and Sarawak to enter UiTM.
“UiTM was established to protect the rights of the Bumiputera and the Malays, and this could create issues,” he said.
When asked about temporarily opening UiTM’s cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme to non-Bumiputera, Ibnu believes it could lead to bigger issues in the future.
“It’s good to give opportunities to others, but I feel the more we give opportunities to non-Bumiputera, there could come a time when they will ask for more, creating concerns for future UiTM students,” he said.
Haziq Izzudin Abdullah, 24, however, holds a different view.
“I don’t support the movement because the decision by the MPP was rushed and without consultation from UiTM’s management.
“This issue is very sensitive, and I don’t think the MPP should have gotten involved. It should be left to the management of UiTM and not handled by a student body,” he said.
Nur Amira Afrina, 22, a journalism student wearing all white in opposition to the movement, believes the student body tried to manipulate the students with its statement and did not address the issue directly.
“I do not agree with the statement they put out. They wanted to uphold Perkara 153 but didn’t clarify the issue that requires them to strongly uphold the institution.
“The statement didn’t mention that UiTM is the only university partnered with the National Heart Institute (IJN). It was not transparent and seemed to blow up a racial issue rather than addressing the cardiothoracic specialists,” she said.
Another student, who declined to be named, said that UiTM had already made a mistake by allowing international students to study there, and this is a consequence of that decision.
“I think it is very hypocritical of UiTM to not allow admission of non-Bumiputera but accept international students. Are the international students here, Bumiputera?
“UiTM should reject international students again and make UiTM wholly Bumiputera to avoid criticism,” he said.
The issue arose from the Malaysian Medical Association’s (MMA) appeal last week for UiTM to prioritise public health by temporarily opening its cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme to non-Bumiputeras amid a shortage of specialists and surgeons.
The response from UiTM’s MPP was to campaign against opening the university to non-Bumiputera students, encouraging students to use the hashtag #MahasiswaUiTMBantah on social media from May 14 until today and to wear black clothing. – May 16, 2024