Bewilderment greets Perak Sultan’s ‘Malay interests’ remarks
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 - By equating any questioning of Malay interests and scholarship quotas to the sovereignty of the rulers, Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah has been met with incredulous response.
Shah Alam parliamenterian Khalid Samad, who is from PAS, believes no one is questioning the rights of the Malays in terms of their places in educational institutions nor was there any move to question their rights to scholarship.
“What is being questioned is the manner in which the scholarship system is being implemented,” Khalid told The Malaysian Insider, saying that the scholarship awarding system must be based on the principles of justice and equitability.
“Although the constitution gives special rights to the Malays and Bumiputras in terms of place of study, it is in no way drafted to deny equal rights be given to the non-Malays.
“The basic idea of this provision is to ensure social justice, not made to serve or justify a chauvinistic end,” he said.
Sultan Azlan said today any move which questions the interests of the Malays and Bumiputras in terms of scholarships and places of study not only violates the fundamental provisions in the federal and state constitutions but also questions the sovereignty of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Malay Rulers.
It is believed that the Perak ruler’s statement was made in reference to the recent call made by the DAP to stop ethnic profiling when awarding scholarships.
Bar Council president K Ragunath when contacted for comments said he doesn’t see how the call for better education opportunities to be awarded to deserving non-Malay students violates the country’s constitutions.
“I think this is a question of interpretation. I don’t think there is a move to question the rights of the Malays to education but a just demand that non-Malays who are doing well in their studies should be allowed the same opportunities,” he said.
Ragunath argued that the country’s broken scholarship system has already damaged the country’s economy with more and more good students pursuing education and employment opportunities overseas due to the lack of chances back home.
“So the whole matter is not about questioning the sovereignty of the Malay rulers or the Agong, it’s just a call for justice to be served,” he added.
The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang when contacted said he would only give his comments soon saying he has yet to read what the Perak ruler had said.
But he said that if the prime minister wants to fulfil his 1 Malaysia promise, then he must move away from ethnic profiling, especially in awarding scholarships.
Lim also pointed out that Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s plan to limit the number of SPM subjects taken by each student was only an “ad hoc solution” and does not go to the root cause of the problem.
“Even if you reduce the number of papers, it would not solve the problem unless there is a fair and transparent system. I think there is a need for a total revamp,” he said.
Sultan of Perak and non-racism — Khoo Kay Peng
JUNE 12 — The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, said any move which questions the interests of the Malays and Bumiputeras in terms of scholarships and places of study not only violates the fundamental provisions in the federal and state constitutions but also questions the sovereignty of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Malay Rulers.
He said Clause 2 of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution provided the King with specific powers to safeguard the interests of the Malays as well as the Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak in terms of scholarships and places of study."
The monarch represents an important institution in the country. Hence, his statement above is not going to help us to look beyond the question of race when addressing the issue of educational opportunity in the country.
Is it racist when a non-Malay student demands his right to a place in a local university or to be given a scholarship if he/she did exceptionally well in a public exam? Isn't it problematic if a remarkable student was not offered a course of choice in a local university or being denied a scholarship to pursue higher education but an opportunity was given to a less remarkable one?
Over the years, the issue of university placement and scholarship has continued to harm and frustrate many parents and students. Many good students had to look for study grants overseas which had resulted in a massive brain drain for the country.
It does not have to be a zero sum game. Giving more places of study and scholarships to more non-Malay Malaysians does not have to come at the expense of the Malays. Any government would have been proud to provide opportunities to its people especially youths to acquire the highest level of education possible so that they can return to contribute to the country's development.
It is no longer an issue about the Malay rights or supremacism. It is about retaining the best brains in the country. Most knowledge based economies are no longer merely competing for FDI but FHCI (Foreign Human Capital Investment).
Hence, the Sultan of Perak should have asked the government to try to accommodate as many bright Malaysian students as possible, regardless of race or creed, by offering them places in the local universities or giving them scholarships to study abroad.
He should have encouraged the government to correct the flaws in the scholarship and university admission processes so that the issue of deprivation and unfairness can be solved once and for all.
Instead, his warning to the complainants not to question these rights (access to scholarships and places of study) because their action is akin to challenging his sovereignty and authority is most unfortunate and unproductive.
A constitutional monarch is supposed to be a symbol of unity and sovereignty of all Malaysians, not just the Malays or Bumiputeras.
His statement will leave a deep impact on the society's direction and nation building. On race relations, this country has a long bumpy road ahead to travel. — straight talk
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