DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) has questioned the rationale of Education Minister Musa Mohamad's statement that the government will review the system of bumiputera admissions into public universities, should the number drop "below 55 percent".

The statement was picked up by Sin Chew Daily today from Bahasa Malaysia daily Utusan Malaysia.

Musa was quoted as saying that the meritocracy system has been effective in increasing competition among bumiputera students for better academic results, but that it would be reconsidered if admissions fall below the 55 percent mark.

The meritocracy system was implemented in 2002 to replace the quota system, which had set a 55:45 ratio for enrolment of bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras respectively.

Results from different examination systems - STPM, matriculation and other equivalent examination - are now being used to determine admission into public universities.

(STPM is a two-year course with Cambridge University Examination Board representatives as external examiners, while matriculation, almost exclusively reserved for bumiputera students, is an in-house and one-year course.)

'Unfair stand'

Responding to Musa's statement, Dapsy secretary Loke Siew Fook told malaysiakini today that it was confusing and unfair.

"This is like taking one step forwards and two steps back....such a mentality does not help the education system," he said.

Asked what might have prompted the stand, he said Umno may be using this as a strategy to win Malay votes, since the general election is due by November.

"Umno champions the Malay interest and it may be seeking to regain the image, power and status of Malay rights."

Loke said that tinkering with the admissions system is not the right solution to existing problems.

Dapsy had, in the past, protested the use of different admission criteria under the meritocracy system.

Loke reiterated that the government should push to create a genuine meritocracy system that uses common criteria, to ensure a level playing field for all students.

Unfair comments

Meanwhile, DAP secretary general Kerk Kim Hock said Musa's comments merely showed the minister's "lack of commitment to a fair meritocracy system".

"His comments are also unfair to the non bumiputera students as how can the system be fair if there is a condition that the bumiputera student intake can only increase but not decrease?," asked Kerk in statement.

The idea of meritocracy system was mooted by ex-Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in July 2001 and implemented a year later despite protests over the admission criteria.

In 2002, bumiputera students filled 22,557 (or 68.9 percent) of places, while 8,665 (26.4 percent) of the seats went to Chinese students and 1,530 (4.7 percent) to Indian students.