Our apartheid academy, UiTM

Our apartheid academy, UiTM

Andrew Sia
Published: May 22, 2024 12:30 PM


COMMENT | What is UiTM? Is it Universiti Teknologi Mara? Or should it be renamed as Universiti Tempat Melayu?

I had Malay colleagues who studied at UiTM when working at The Star newspaper. We got along just fine.

One fellow went on to work for the DAP. Another told me he preferred to stay in a Chinese area to avoid nosy neighbours reporting on him bringing his girlfriend home.

However, students there recently wore black to protest very few non-Malays being admitted into a small UiTM post-graduate programme for cardiothoracic surgery.

It was to address the “acute shortage” of such specialists, as Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz pointed out.

Yet, the student protesters were basically saying, “We don't care about the medical needs of the people, even the Malays. We're clinging to our racial thinking no matter what.”


What an “educated” bunch they are.

As Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek said, “The availability of surgeons could mean the difference between life and death to the public, whether they are non-bumiputera or bumiputera.”


Foreigners OK, locals no

Unlike the more open-minded UiTM people I've met, these protesters were in effect declaring that their university should become a glaring example of apartheid.

I find it ironic that Malaysia fought against apartheid by whites against blacks in 1980s South Africa but still endorses a de facto Akademi Apartheid at home.

Yet some non-Malays are allowed into UiTM with open arms. But only foreign non-Malays. It's right there, in black and white (well, actually purple and white) on the website.

“We welcome all prospective international students (for) postgraduate programmes. We look forward to seeing you become a part of our big family.”

Similarly, the red carpet is also rolled out for foreign exchange students: “UiTM welcomes international students from all over the world… it is about having fun in the tropical sun and exploring the uniqueness of this multi-racial country.”

But that red carpet turns black and grows thorns when it comes to local non-Malays. Sorry, no “big family” or “tropical sun fun” for them. They are instead deemed a “threat” to the Malays.

This is similar to the UEC (United Exam Certificate) from local independent Chinese schools being denied recognition by public universities.

Yet, as Raub MP Chow Yu Hui noted, those who hold A-levels, Australian matriculation and even China’s HSC are welcomed.

Why are we still holding back some Malaysians on purely racial grounds?

How can we claim to be a Madani nation when we don't practice three of its six pillars, namely compassion, mutual respect and mutual trust?


Feeding forest monkeys

This is the irony of Malaysia. And it has serious economic effects.

As academic Jomo Sundram has pointed out, we give so many privileges like tax exemptions and subsidies for foreign direct investment (FDI). But many local small and medium industries don't get such government support.

Why? Is it because they are of the wrong skin colour? Jomo doesn't spell it out, but the subtext is clear.

So he says, that if anyone has ideas or money, they invest overseas and then come back to Malaysia as “foreign investors”. Only then are they entitled to various incentives!

“This is ridiculous,” says Jomo.

“We will never become world leaders in anything if we keep depending on FDI, we will just be (stuck as) subcontractors.”

He adds that Japan and Korea did not progress by depending on FDI but by developing their own local companies. China is now doing the same.

There is a perfect Malay idiom for this - anak kera di hutan disusui, anak sendiri di rumah kebuluran. Or “feed the monkeys in the forest while our children at home are starving”.

In the current controversy, the few non-Malay postgraduate students who want to join UiTM have no choice.

There is no other avenue to certify cardiothoracic surgeons except the one by UiTM done with the National Heart Institute (IJN).

Which comes to the question. Why did IJN tie up with UiTM for this important medical field? Why didn't it work with another university that accepts students of all races?

Given UiTM’s racial mindset, any future collaboration should be limited perhaps to fields such as “Islamic medicine”.


Coconut mindset

Anyway, most non-Malays would probably not want to send their children to UiTM for normal courses, given such openly racist student protests.

College is not just about studies. It's also about making friends and contacts that will be important in later life. Such human networking is even more crucial as artificial intelligence will replace mundane technical skills.

It would be far better to go to other private colleges which have open, competitive mindsets, rather than closed coconut ones. Yes, it costs more, but it's a better investment.

But many poor non-Malays can't afford private colleges. Don't they deserve government help too?

If taxpayers’ money is used exclusively for one racial group at UiTM, then to be fair, there should be another public university just for “the nons”.

Of course, that is impossible, as our system is allergic to the Chinese. OK, but how about a public college just for Indians?

Everybody can agree that this community needs more government help, yes? So how about another UITM – Universiti India Teknikal Malaysia?

We can already hear the howling protests. Kami bantah sekeras-kerasnya! (We vehemently protest!). Hopefully, without stepping on any cow heads.

Such an Indian college will be a black pool that amplifies racism! We cannot have academic inbreeding! We must mix on campus to open minds! Bla, bla, bla…

Right. Precisely the same can be said about UiTM.

In conclusion, the upheaval over Akademi Apartheid is just another symptom of our deep-seated racial problems.

Will the Madani government have the courage to start fixing them?



ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com