Under 1Malaysia, one has to be careful about the purity of one's blood.
Cases reported here.
1. Marina Undau, 18, of SMK Simanggang scored 9As and 1B in the SPM examinations last year. She thought she could undergo a university matriculation programme, but was rejected by the Ministry of Education because was deemed not to be a Bumiputra. Her father is Iban but her mother is Chinese.
2. Lymie from SMK Kuching Town No 1 scored 9As and IB in her SPM examinations but was also rejected because her father James is Iban-Bidayuh but her mother is a Chinese-Iban.
The decision on the classification of whether a person is a Bumiputera or a non-Bumiputera for the purpose of entering the national universities or its matriculation programme is made by the Student Intake Management Division, Higher Learning Department and Higher Education Ministry.
The classification is apparently based on Article 161a of the Federal Constitution:
"(6) In this Article "native" means:
(a) in relation to Sarawak, a person who is a citizen and either belongs to one of the races specified in Clause (7) as indigenous to the State or is of mixed blood deriving exclusively from those races; and
(b) in relation to Sabah, a person who is a citizen, is a child or grandchild of a person of a race indigenous in Sabah, and was born (whether on or after Malaysia Day or not) either in Sabah or to a father domiciled in Sabah at the time of the birth.
(7) The races to be treated for the purposes of the definition of "native" in Clause (6) as indigenous to Sarawak are the Bukitans, Bisayahs, Dusuns, Sea Dayaks, Land Dayaks, Kedayans, Kelabit, Kayans, Kenyahs (including Sabups and Sipengs), Kajangs (including Sekapans, Kejamans, Lahanans, Punans, Tanjongs and Kanowits), Lugats, Lisums, Malays, Melanaus, Muruts, Penans, Sians, Tagals, Tabuns and Ukits."
Comments/Questions:
1. Is the Ministry of Higher Education run by people of lower education?
2. Is it trying to mix education with politics?
3. Is the federal government trying to undermine another of its state governments?
4. Doesn't the article read dated and rigid and disregarding the dynamics of human love and emotions?
5. Is the ministry concerned about supporting students with good marks - the future leaders of the nation?
5 comments:
What's funny and tragic is that each state (and probably each ministry) has its own definition. So for some purposes my wife is Bumi, for others she's not (she's of Indian-Muslim descent).
Good points, Guru. Institutionalising race and ethnicity engenders degrees of racism to the point where decisions become absolutely and patently absurd. We are losing good minds because of bad decisions made by uneducated and uncaring officials.
Meanwhile those who move in illegally from across the borders get their citizenship and identity cards and can automatically take their place as bumiputra's to receive the anointed blessings of this land, thus pushing the indigenous natives one rung lower in the land of their birth. Last one checked, the indigenous natives of any parentage are the original bumiputra's of this country.
If 1Malaysia is about people first and performance upheld, the government should walk the talk and start by weeding out the little napoleons who think their posts are their little elba islands. Waterloo the whole lot so that justice and fairness will be done and seen to be done. Otherwise they will continue to insult Him, the race, the definition of bumiputra, the reputation of this country, the peace of the rakyat, the welfare of the young and the future of Malaysia.
Maybe i should start taking to ale too. After all, bigger sins have been committed in the name of the state. Or is it still political expediency in 1Malaysia?
Last one checked the ku klux klan was banned. To have such practices continue in a hallowed matter like education is sheer hypocrisy of 1Malaysia. The middle finger is more symbolic.
The selection criteria is questionable. In fact it is not transparent. As a Headmaster for 21 years & in education profession for 29 years, I failed to see the fairness in awarding JPA Overseas Scholarships to top scorers. My eldest daughter is a victim of the annually event of JPA inefficiency and bias. She scored 12A (10 A1 & 2 A2),all the Science subjects are A1 and yet she couldn't get the scholarship. Her schoolmate with 8A got the Computer Science (USA) scholarship. The reason given is to keep the top scorers in local university (information from JPA inside sources & interviewers). This is nonsense!!! How are we going to keep our best talents to stay put in local U. There are many ways for those who failed to secure the scholarship to study in overseas U. Be it the hard ways or attraction or rather offer from across the causeway. Singapore government is laughing all the way to the bank each year by just grabbing our talents without spending a single cent for their basic education & reaping the fruits of our labour. I'm very disappointed for the fate of my family who can't afford an overseas tertiary education for our first child. After putting 60 years of our life (my wife is a teacher too) in educating children of all ethnic Malaysian, seeing them getting all the best offer for education and finally got a big blow to our hope of getting a fair deal!!! The JPA is doing disservice to our nation!!! Do you think those best talents who manage to study in overseas by the hard ways would look back and come back to serve their own nation which don't appreciate their effort and talent? I doubt it!!! Malaysia is doom! We are lagging behind and going to go down further in years to come compare to our neighbouring countries including Vietnam!!! Imagine that!!!
Hi Etheorist,
‘1. Is the Ministry of Higher Education run by people of lower education?’
Shouldnt we even pretend to ASK? They all have strings of alphabet behind their names. How that alphabetic soup comes about is another story all together!
‘2. Is it trying to mix education with politics?’
Right from the founding of her nationhood, education with politics, or politics with education, have been the MAIN theme of bolihland’s govt scheme of operation.
‘3. Is the federal government trying to undermine another of its state government?’
read this, fr cruzeiro;
‘• If either parent of a candidate is a Malay who is a Muslim/Orang Asli as defined in Article 160 (2) of the Federal Constitution, the child is considered a bumiputra.
• Sabah – If the father of the candidate is a Malay who is a Muslim/native of Sabah as ...defined by Article 161A(6)(a) of the Federal Constitution, the child is considered a bumiputra.
• Sarawak – If the father and mother is a native of Sarawak as defined under Article 161A(6)(b) of the Federal Constitution, the child is considered a bumiputra.
==================================
What this means is that:
1. West Malaysian Malay/Orang Asli/ Muslim gens are superior
2. Children of Sabahan women intermarrying would lose rights
3. ANY child of intermarrying Sarawakians would lose rights.
4. There will be growth of West Malaysian "Bumiputras" while there'll be depletion of the same in East Malaysia.’
The answer is OBVIOUS, izznit?
Those bloody framers of the state constitutions of Sbh/Swk for joining M’sia, r penghianat bangsa true & true!
Or r there always inequality in the partnership of M'sia? Remember Sbh/SWK took part in the formation of M'sia as EQUAL partners as Malaya. None is above the others, PERIOD.
‘4. Doesn't the article read dated and rigid and disregarding the dynamics of human love and emotions?’
The Fed Constitutions has been amended 600+ times since her existence. Rest assure that this state articles will forever sit at the back burner for kingdom come! Their amendment goes again the spirit as spelled out under ‘4. There will be growth of West Malaysian "Bumiputras" while there'll be depletion of the same in East Malaysia.’
‘5. Is the ministry concerned about supporting students with good marks - the future leaders of the nation?’
Having all those extragenous spendings of public funds, together with the consistent failures of the public projects, teach us anything? This govt IS not into building meritocracy for the future leaders of the nation. It is into mediocre talents spotting to the nth power. The saddest part is that their definition of mediocrity is skewed towards the bottom end of the talent ladder. Or perhaps, bottom is always been the best since there is where 1 starts!
No?
anomie
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