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Malaysia Starts Meritocracy in Education System
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Malaysia's ruling Malay political party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), on Monday voted that local universities should practice meritocracy in hiring and promotion.
The vote by the UMNO's Central Committee indicates a radical change in the policies of the government in general, and the Malay-Muslim based party in particular.
Universities in Malaysia remained a sector where Malaysians of races, other than Malay or Bumiputera (sons of the soil), were not granted free access.
Access to universities was reserved for Malay-Muslims who had a quota allotted under an Affirmative Action Plan.
The plan was devised in the early 1960s in order to assist the Malay community in Malaysia, whom authorities said were left behind in education and business.
The new ruling, which enters into effect immediately and would be enforced during this month's entrance to universities in Malaysia, would affect three specific sectors.
They concern higher learning institutions offering literature, science and technology. At a later stage, the measure will also include religious studies, and will be implemented in stages.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir, however, said meritocracy was needed since Malay students could not always qualify for admission into high learning centers.
"The UMNO party feels that religious studies must also be included in the new formula in order to prevent it from becoming a political tool," said the premier.
Mahathir said the government would also ensure that universities only teach students genuine religious knowledge without mixing it with political indoctrination and a "hate-the-government" campaign.
However, the government will not fully apply the merit system on new university enrollment for the time being, Mohamad added.
"We also have to take into consideration the reduction in intake of Malay students if the system were to be fully implemented.
"As such, we shall implement the system in stages so that the reduction in Malay student intake will not be that glaring," he said.
In its efforts to raise the performance of Malay students, the government would have to first raise their qualification level before they could be accepted to enroll in universities.
Chinese and Indians, of Muslim or non-Islamic faith, have regularly complained that their children could not gain access to universities in Malaysia despite the fact that they earned higher marks in exams.
The Malaysian government said it would open doors of the universities to non-Muslims since Malay students were getting involved in politics, anti-government campaigns and "militant" groups, as well as other non-Islamic activities.
The Malaysian government intends to survey the attitude of Malay students in universities abroad, saying that it had information some of them were getting involved in mujahidin (fighting in the name of Islam) activities.
Mahathir recently said Malays have been granted too many facilities and should now be made to pay back the government, adding that the government could not afford to waste money on those who did not want to study.
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