KUCHING: Sarawak’s decision to remove quotas for its university admission is brave and should be emulated elsewhere.
Former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said it is about time the country subscribed to a fair system where the people took pride in merit in the country.
“If we can start with no quotas in higher education, we can slowly introduce a merit-based policy in other places,” he said in a post on X yesterday.
Zaid further said concern about whether rural or poor students can compete fairly must be addressed.
“Give them more scholarships, tuition fees, etc., but the students must be aware that they must study hard to be admitted to the universities. Why should they work hard if they know they can be enrolled with lesser grades?”
He said the government’s responsibility is to provide enough facilities to level the playing field.
“The government must not participate in discriminatory policies for political gains by favouring certain groups
“If we must give more to the less able, then we must. But it’s not the government’s job to ensure a specific outcome in all human endeavours.
“The government job is to assure all Malaysians they have a promising future if they work hard,” he said.
He went on to say that quotas in a limited form may be justified but only as a temporary measure.
“Overall, we have to let the best reap the benefits of their labour.
“By the way, if we look back at some of the country’s best doctors, lawyers, and professionals, many came from rural and low-income families. They were a hard-working lot,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee was reported as saying that admission into five state-owned universities in Sarawak will be based solely on meritocracy.
He said student enrolment into these universities will no longer go through a quota-based system.
The five Sarawak-owned universities are Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak, i-CATS University College and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS).
