Umno Youth and several other parties — both government organisations and non-government organisations — in trying to assert a 10 percent quota for bumiputra in private institutions of higher education are all illogical in their 'logic' .

Umno Youth president Hishammuddin Hussein says that a 10 percent quota should be provided by private institutes for bumiputra and blasted MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik's remark as 'arrogant' and 'insensitive'.

Ling is right this time. The arrogant and emotional Umno Youth president should know that all private institutions open their door to all with the right paper qualifications and financial ability. They have no preference for any race, so quota was never an issue.

Is Hishammuddin that mean to play tit-for-tat by limiting non-bumiputra's chances even in private education? Is he or the whole Umno Youth wing so emotional that they are irrational?

Also, a report in Berita Harian (June 12) said private institutes should help bumiputra students get enrolled. The person quoted is none other than Kesatuan Guru-guru Melayu Malaysia Barat (KGMMB) or West Malaysia Teachers' Association president Dr Abdul Rahman Daud.

He suggested that private institutes should at least exempt 10 percent bumi students from paying fees when he said, "Kita tidak minta banyak, hanya 10 peratus. Jika mereka diberikan pengecualian membayar yuran pengajian, kita yakin matlamat menempatkan 10 peratus pelajar Bumiputera di IPTS (private institutions) akan tercapai" (We're not asking for much, just 10 percent. If they exempt 10 percent bumi from paying fees, we can easily achieve the suggested 10 percent bumi quota in private universities).

So the end justifies the means. He also said the 10 percent quota for (non-fee-paying) bumiputra in private universities in exchange for a 45 percent quota for non-bumiputra in public universities was not an 'excessive demand'.

It is all the more shocking that this came from an educators' group. KGMMB does not seem to understand the difference between private and public universities. The latter is set up using taxpayers' money. Logically, all qualified Malaysians can be admitted based on merit but this is not the case.

As an educator, Abdul Rahman should understand the difference between the two and not make such illogical demands. The days are numbered for those who have no will to face the new challenges of the information age.