The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has been asked to investigate the newly implemented 'merit'-based entry system into public universities to determine if underprivileged Indian Malaysians are being deprived of higher education.

"We received many complaints about the method of intake, especially from Indian Malaysian students," said Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim) pro tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar after submitting a memorandum to Suhakam's commissioner, Dr Abdul Monir Yaacob, at the commission's office in Kuala Lumpur today.

The opposition politician claimed that there has been a lack of transparency in the selection process and thus some qualified students were deprived of places in the country's 17 public higher educational institutions.

Among others, he said, it is not made known how students are selected into various courses in these universities.

M Manogar, who is a lawyer and representative of a local non-governmental organisation, Group of Concerned Citizens, also told the commission that the "denial of places in public institutions of higher education is a breach of human rights".

He decried that local public universities fail to display the list of successful applicants unlike educational institutions in countries such as Japan and South Korea.

"What is wrong for these universities to publish and display the names of successful applicants, their qualifications and courses offered to them?" Manogar asked.

New system

The government brought in a 'merit'-based university entrance system early this year to replace a race-based quota system. While some quarters welcomed the decision, others have expressed scepticism over its implementation.

It is believed that the new system will help 'motivate' Malay Malaysian students, which the government perceived as lagging behind their peers in their studies.

Surprisingly, the new system has resulted in more Malay Malaysian students accepted into public universities. Out of the 32,752 places offered in country's 17 public universities, Malay Malaysians constituted 68.9 percent of those who got in.

Meanwhile, a smaller percentage of Indian Malaysians, 4.7 percent, were offered a seat.

Under the old quota system, it was 55 percent for bumiputra, 35 percent for the ethnic Chinese and 10 percent for the ethnic Indians.

According to Uthayakumar, among the country's marginalised groups, Indian Malaysians are the "most disadvantaged because they are both politically weak and economically backward".

Therefore, it is a wrong to generalise that all non-bumiputra could afford to study overseas or in private educational institutions, he added.

"Ninety percent of those in private universities are Chinese, not Indians," he said, adding that it is unfair to lump Chinese and Indian Malaysians together.

While Monir did not promise that an inquiry will be launched, the newly appointed commissioner assured Uthayakumar and his delegation that his complaint will be discussed by Suhakam.