sarah`s blog

This topic could be outdated compared to permatang pauh by election. I just want to express my thoughts over what have happened lately.

As a UiTM student, I must admit that I am so thankful for being selected into UiTM. Moreover, my SPM result wasn’t excellence and I did not manage to get into public universities after the UPU result on public universities fresh intake.

 

I applied for MMU and I was offered with alpha level (similar to matriculation programme) in information technology which costs me a lot of money.

It took me a long time to decide on the MMU offer. In the mean time I tried to apply for UiTM second intake somewhere in June or July (UiTM intakes done twice per year & if I’m not mistaken it’s the only public university which intakes are done twice per year).

 

Alhamdulillah, many thanks to the Almighty Allah Ta`ala, I’d received an offer – diploma in public administration from UiTM.

 

I put a lot of effort during my 3 years diploma programme and I managed to graduate on time with an excellence result. After that I pursue to law school.

Being taught in political science and public administration as well as development administration makes me well verse with our nation’s scenario and history. Thus things are getting interesting when I can merge my knowledge with the laws. To be frank, I love reading blogs like Malaysia today, Malaysia kini and etc. it exposed me to the news that I could not get in local mainstream mass media. I‘ve been doing that since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s dismissal in 1998. Lots of funny and fishy things happened. Lecturers were not hesitated to share their views in this case. Blogs supplement me with knowledge and also update me on the current issues.

 

Now, come back to the point, I’ve been studying in UiTM since 2003. I go to UiTM because I do not afford to go other universities especially private one. This is a fact which I must admit and plus I am not an intelligent student who entitled to a scholarship to go abroad then.

 

UiTM is meant for poor malays and bumiputera only. Only those who are not financially strong and do not have second chance to further their studies are the people who are entitled to get into UiTM. It goes with the history of the establishment of UiTM itself.

From my point of view, this is the idea which lies beneath the objective of Article 153 of constitution.

 

When Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim made a suggestion, I repeat, a suggestion, to open 10% places to non bumiputera as to give competitions, there were outrageous outcries from UiTM VC and students. Students marched off to MB office as to show their protests. On the night before the march, I’d been told to sign a petition of protest and to wear black shirt during the march. So the allegation of UMNO sponsoring or bribing students with black shirts is false and baseless.

 

I did not take part in the march because I knew this issue has been politicized by unscrupulous, filthy, desperate politicians.

Why? Because MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim wasn’t the first man to make such statement, in fact there have been a few statement made previously even from non Malay bodies and yet no protests were made.

When MRSM opened to non malay where the semangat melayu gone? Why there was no protest against Dato Nazri Aziz and Dr.M then?

And why the semangat melayu came up when Tan Sri Khalid made that statement?

 

These are the big question marks which I think are answerable through what has happened in our local political scenario.

As for the main objective of UiTM establishment which to help Malays and bumiputera to be at par with other races is good effort. This affirmative action is lawful in legal sense. However, we mustn’t forget that big names born from UiTM like Media Prima CEO Datuk Farid, Dato Zaid Ibrahim, Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah CEO of PNB, Dato’ Salleh Majid and many more is a strong proof that UiTM managed to produce these kind of people.

 

Question of the quality of UiTM graduates are subjective in the sense that it differs from people perceptions. But I strongly think it depend on the student. If you work hard you will impress your employer about UiTM, vice versa. It happens in other universities as well, let’s be fair okay?

 

Should government intend to implement what Tan Sri Khalid had suggested, there should a thorough study on the viability of the Malays and bumiputera to face the challenge without privileges under Article 153. This issue is sensitive towards certain people, and I write this article based on my stand and not inclined to any parties.

 

As for present scenario, there are few rich and famous sons and daughters of Dato’s, Tan Sri’s, are studying in UiTM. I do not understand why they are here, since they are not categorized as poor people like me. They can afford to go to other universities. Indirectly they already grab the places of poor people who entitled to study in UiTM and deny these poor people rights.

 

And my final say is that UiTM students have been dragged into politics. Extra evidence is when Khairy Jamaluddin came to UiTM before the 12th general election with the purpose to meet Kelantanese. If I’m not mistaken the video of his speech at Dewan Sri Budiman is available at youtube.

 

As a university, it should be a place which is free from political interventions. Let us, the students be given freedom to think, observe and choose what we want. As for government, I think the effort made way back from the reign of Tun Abdul Razak is a very good effort. However, the system cannot run smoothly if people kept meddle in the system as to exploit it for their political interests as it will jeopardize the future of Malays and bumiputera and the nation, as a whole.