The manipulated merit system and MICs failure
However, in a typical manner, the so-called representative of the Indian community, is trying to defuse and side-track the issue so that it makes a political capital out of it. But then, Indians might be fools for some time, but not all the time. Time has come to question and expose the politics of MIC, one of the ardent supporters of Malay state racism in the country.
In the recent past, no other issue or phenomenon has angered and alienated the Indian community as the issue of university admission. Lacking the political and economic advantages of other ethnic communities, Indians have often relied on education for their upward socio-economic mobility.
History has proven that Indians do not need special quota or advantage for them to excel in education. Sections of the community have done very well. All they want is a level playing field so that they can take advantage of education for their future well-being.
But then, things are becoming extremely difficult for Indians in this country. Not only are they discriminated and sidelined in every conceivable field, they have to face the future with much anxiety and concern.
It is not that they want the continuation of the quota system, as falsely and maliciously argued by MIC, but they want a system of admission that could be defended and sustained as based on merit.
If they don't make it under a system of merit, then Indians have no one to blame except themselves. But definitely they seriously object to a system of admission that only caters for the interest of one ethnic group. In this respect, the recent admission of students was not based on the institution of a merit system, but a system defended by the government as merit.
Government manipulation
Contrary to the false propaganda of the MIC leadership, Indians were denied places in universities not because they were not qualified, but because the intake of matriculation students displaced their rightful share of places.
Without the government's manipulation of the admission system, it is believed that many Indians students would have gained places. Some are of the opinion that if there had been a genuine merit system, more than 10 percent of the places would have gone to Indians. But then Indians were sidelined not by the merit system, as argued by MIC, without doing some basic research, but by the existence of a system that has been falsely promoted as merit.
Instead of questioning and exposing the present system of admission, MIC is bemoaning the passing of the quota system. It is wrong to have a quota system for education in perpetuity, although some form of affirmative action can be defended on grounds of need for particular segments of the population. Even the United States has affirmative action policy, but then it is very selectively applied to ensure that only the marginalised and exploited segments of the population can take advantage.
There is no need for a quota system for the selection of Indian students. A genuine merit system should cater for all students — Malays, Chinese and Indians.
In fact, MIC should ask whether it is fair and proper for the government to compare matriculation and STPM students for university admission. It is pretty obvious that both the systems cannot be compared in the true academic sense.
What the government did was to recognise the academic standards of matriculation students as on par with those who took the STPM examinations merely to favour bumiputra students. This is so obvious and plain, but MIC refuses to see this.
Apparently MIC appealed to the prime minister to look into the matter so that a reasonable solution could be worked out. But then, the prime minister decided to stick with the present formula, to the disappointment of the MIC leadership.
How can MIC expect the prime minister to resolve the problem that has been created by him and others?
Not interested
The prime minister, as the one of the foremost architects of Malay hegemony, is not interested in the welfare and well-being of other races. For that matter, he is not even interested in the welfare of ordinary Malays, exploited as members of other ethnic groups. His close ties are with those in corporate and business world.
Of course, non-Malays will only figure in his overall calculation if there is need for political support, especially if Umno is being challenged by opposition forces. Other than this, non-Malays, the rank and file, are mere statistics for him.
MIC should stop hoodwinking and misleading the Indian community. After more than four decades of political independence, it has done nothing for the progress and well-being of the community.
Lacking the credibility and legitimacy, it has been merely clinging on to Umno and other component parties in the ruling coalition.
Other than being one of the oldest parties in the grand coalition, it has nothing to offer to resolve some of the fundamental problems of the community.
Generally speaking, Indians have become frustrated and disillusioned under the present government. In short, the government has nothing to offer Indians, but only misery and hardship.
It is not that Indians do not have any other options, but if their marginalisation and exploitation continues, then new alternatives might have to be sought.
At least for the time being, Indians should seriously contemplate denying votes for the Barisan Nasional in the next general election.
In fact, Indians should, with whatever electoral strength they have, teach the BN a lesson. At the same time, Indians should reject the opportunistic political parties on the sideline, such as PPP and IPF which merely exist to solicit favours from Umno.
P RAMASAMY is a professor of political economy at the Political Science Department, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and has academic interests in Malaysian politics and labour. He has written quite extensively and is currently focusing on conflict management in Sri Lanka.
