UiTM brouhaha

I am appalled by the reaction of the UiTM students to march and express displeasure to Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim's office following suggestions made by the latter. Even the UiTM Vice Chancellor was riled up.

A report on Malaysiakini stated the following:
In a TV interview, the vice-chancellor warned unnamed parties not to look for trouble and pledged to defend the university as "the last Malay bastion".

Dr Ibrahim estimates that UiTM students comprise only 35 percent of the university student population in the country, and "this shows that Malays are still far behind other students".

See also another paragraph from the same report:
In addition, Dr Ibrahim has warned that the estimated 119,000 UiTM students throughout the country and its graduate population of 350,000 are upset with Khalid for his alleged interference in the internal affairs of the university, "especially when the bangsa asing (foreigners, in this case, non-Malays) themselves did not ask to be admitted to the Malay university".

First of all, I would openly support these students had they demonstrated for true amendments in the University and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA 1971) that curtails the freedom of students.

There are no need for a brouhaha from the students over a suggestion made by the Selangor MB. I repeat, it is a suggestion.

Next, the assertion that only UiTM represents 35% of Malay Bumiputra students actually a LARGE number. Malaysia has about 10 public universities. UITM only has Malay Bumiputra students. In other public universities, Chinese and Indians still constitute 30% and 10% respectively. While I don't have the digits to substantiate, I can fairly vouch for the fact that the majority of the students in public universities are Malay students.

Dr Ibrahim should have been wise enough to call his students to campaign for real amendments within the (UUCA) that would provide autonomy for the university administration. Since the UiTM is provided for under Article 153, there is definitely no need to fear.

The other point that I want to raise is the VC must not have referred to non Malay fellow Malaysians as bangsa asing'. It actually shows that Dr Ibrahim ain't ready to mix with people who are not of his kind.

One more thing, Dr Ibrahim. UiTM is provided under Article 153. It is not special privilege. It is the special position.

Sharing the nation or renting the nation?

While I am very much aware that at this moment the Anwar sodomy case is very hot, I am diverting my attention to the social contract.

Currently reading Sharing the Nation: Faith, Difference, Power and the State - 50 Years after Merdeka by Norani Othman, Mavis C Puthucheary and Clive Kessler, I was enlightened by the fact that in the original agreement there was no such thing as the special rights for the Malays. It was special position of the Malays. The other point that struck me is that the special position had a time limit as in a contract. However UMNO has altogether changed the concept to special rights. The chapter by Dr Puthucheary also revealed how the concept of bumiputera came to be used and included Sabah and Sarawak native people. This has, over the years, created sentiments among the non Malay, non Muslims in Malaysia as they have continued to be seen as immigrants.

Interestingly if a non – Malay non Muslim converts to Islam and practices Malay lifestyle as prescribed in the Federal Constitution, he or she would be identified as Malay Muslim and enjoy privileges meant for the bumiputras. An example would be Malaysia’s well known political scientist, Dr Chandra Muzaffar. He was active in leftist politics via Parti Keadilan Rakyat rallying for Anwar Ibrahim. Though he is an Indian converted to Musllim faith, he was never seen as representing the Malaysian Indian members of the party.

Based on the above points, the question for the minority Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians would be; Are we sharing the nation with the Malay Muslim majority or are we renting the nation from the Malay Muslim community? At what cost is it? Over the years the younger generations of Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians have sought greener pastures in foreign lands. They wanted to share the nation not rent.

On an addition, it is noteworthy to mention here that the MCA has defended the Bar Council for organising the forum on social contract.