I refer to the letters A daughter devastated, a mother with no answer, Education system quota abused and Why bother waking up at 3am to study? I truly sympathise with the writers.

Every year for the past 10 years or so, my heart bleeds at this time of the year. This is when the SPM and STPM results come out. We hear of students with brilliant results being deprived of scholarships and places in our colleges and universities. Then the charade begins.

The students accompanied by their parents would meet MCA MP's. This is followed by a MCA representative going a-begging to the Education Ministry and the Public Services Department.

The outcome of this exercise is so predictable! PSD would throw a scholarship or two to pacify MCA. There was even a time when the prime minister invited top-scorers to tea but still NO scholarships.

This policy of student selection in clearly the work of Umno policy-makers in the Barisan National government. This whole thing was engineered, of course. The enforcers of this kind of policy are the products of government residential schools where 99 percent of students are Malays.

They were sent there at a tender age of 13 and have racism and religion drummed into their heads That was why I kept my two daughters away from such schools.

I am truly ashamed of the injustice meted out to truly brilliant and deserving non-Malay students. But what I really cannot fathom is how the MPs of MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the like could sit through and let Umno policy makers have their way? Shame on you.

If there is any shred of decency left in your hearts, now is the time to redeem yourselves. Hop over to Pakatan Rakyat and let the children forgive you. The earlier Pakatan Rakyat takes over the government, the sooner these degrading policies be dismantled.

To all mothers and disappointed students, my heart goes to you.