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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 21. September 3 1979

1. On Education Opportunity

1. On Education Opportunity

Since the implementation of the NEP, there has been a drastic dimunition of higher education opportunities for the non- Malay students in Malaysia.

According to a report, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahatir Mohamad, in answering questions raised by an opposition party member in parliament, revealed that in 1977, the total number of applications for places in the five domestic universities was 29,998, out of which only 5,953 were accepted. Among the students accepted, 4,457 (74.9%) were Malays, and 1,187 (19.9%) Chinese; 266 (45%) Indians and 43 (0.7%) others (compared with 39.7%:49.2%:7.3% for the Malays, Chinese and Indians respectively in 1970 before implementation of NEP.) Apparently, the intakes of students into tertiary institutions have failed to reflect the country's racial composition. (According to 1970's population census, the percentage composition of the three races were Malays 46.8%, Chinese 34.1%, and Indian 9%.)

Photo of Malaysian workers

The deliberate policy of the government to suppress the development of the Chinese language schools and to thwart efforts to set up a Chinese-language University (Merdeka University) has caused a sense of educational insecurity within the Chinese community. This further led to frustration, discontentment and alienation among them.

To pacify the widespread dissatisfaction among the non-Malays, the Education Minister, Musa Hitam, has announced recently to increase the intake of the non- Malay students by 2%. Even this meagre increase has caused an uproar and protest from the extremist Malay groups, especially the UMNO.