Parallel pathway: UiTM must remain for bumi only, Akmal says

Parallel pathway: UiTM must remain for bumi only, Akmal says

Published: May 17, 2024 11:48 PM


Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh sided with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) students protesting against allowing non-bumiputera to enrol in its cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme.

In a video on TikTok, he said UiTM must remain only for bumiputera, pointing out that there are other public universities open to non-bumiputera.

“UiTM must remain for bumiputera, in the present, in the past, and in the future.

“When we defend our rights, we have never taken the rights of others,” he said.

In the video, he can be seen speaking outdoors, in front of a small crowd under a tent.

Yesterday, UiTM students wore black as part of a protest against the inclusion of non-bumiputera students.

On April 25, website Codeblue reported Raja Amin Raja Mokhtar, board member of the UiTM-IJN (National Heart Institute) cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme, saying the varsity is agreeable to opening the course to non-bumiputera.

UiTM is the only varsity that offers a parallel pathway programme in collaboration with IJN in the cardiothoracic field, which comprises surgery and care for heart and lung diseases.

Despite this, Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said there had been no discussions on allowing the entry of non-bumiputera and that the issue had been turned into a point of contention.

Meanwhile, Akmal said the bumiputera have never taken the rights of non-bumiputera Malaysians.

“In fact, we even give help,” he said.

The end of the video depicted him leading the crowd in a chant of defending UiTM.


READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | Parallel pathway - what is it and why is it an issue?

This issue arose after four graduates who earned a Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons Edinburgh (FRSC Ed) qualification for cardiothoracic surgery were told they could not register as specialists and practise the speciality here because the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) does not recognise the qualification.

The Malaysian Medical Association previously said UiTM should allow the entry of non-bumiputera Malaysians seeking specialised training in the cardiothoracic field, given that international students can enrol in the university.

UiTM vice-chancellor Shahrin Sahib said the varsity is committed to upholding the UiTM Act 1976 (Act 173) and Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which only allows the enrolment of bumiputera students.

However, UiTM will accept whatever the government decides with the blessing of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if the matter arises due to national need, he added.

Malaysia is facing a shortage of medical specialists including cardiothoracic surgeons.

Three Health Ministry centres in Kota Bharu, Kuantan, and Kota Kinabalu have only one cardiothoracic surgeon each.