Universities
Easier entry for Bumis
Why Malay undergrads are struggling with the dual-entry system to produce more bumi professionals. By PAS academic Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud.
Jun 16, 2004

As an ex-lecturer at one of the medical schools in Malaysia for 13 years (1984-1997), I taught medical students during their first year at the medical faculty.

The matriculation was initially introduced with all the noble intentions of the NEP and it was for the duration of two academic years, equivalent to that of STPM.

Over the years, the matriculation period was reduced to one academic year (I can't remember exactly why).

We (the lecturers) began to notice the difference in the quality of the students - between those coming from the STPM (mainly non-bumis) and those coming from the matriculation system (the bumis).

Although the students from matriculation were also the cream of the bumi students, in general they could not fare as well as the non-bumis. No matter how hard the lecturers try to coax (sometime to the extent of spoon feeding) and motivate them, we could see the difference.

Even when answering essay questions in Bahasa Malaysia, the non-bumis fared better. I could tell the difference in the script.

Students coming after STPM are more mature, resilient, confident, independent, self-directed, motivated and with high self-esteem.

The students from matriculation are hardworking and also motivated but something is amiss with their pre-university education i.e during matriculation.

They seem to be not fully ready for university life and academic expectations. I am not saying that all matriculation students are like this. The majority of top 10 students are still bumi students but in general, perhaps the bottom 50 percent are also from matriculation.

Of course, when I was still employed there, we lecturers do give our input to the powers-that-be in the university. We even suggested doing away with the matriculation and have one university entry examination.

We were told it was not for us to decide, the politicians are the ones who make the decisions. Try talking to rational, farsighted Malay educationists (not nationalists) and they will give you the same suggestion.

Over the years, the structure of the matriculation system has been changed a number of times. Before it was under the various universities, now it is under the Education Ministry. This affected the monitoring of the students' performance in the matriculation system.

The mindset of the Malay students (and Malay politicians, i.e Umno , nationalists and even Malay teachers) has been frozen in the yesteryears and it will take a great effort to thaw it.

When I suggested to some post-SPM Malay students (who excelled in the SPM) to choose STPM over matriculation, they refused to do so, citing teachers who said that the STPM was difficult and more so for Malays because Form Six teachers were mainly Chinese and non-bumis!

Actually, I think the bumi students in matriculation are a capable lot. Justice is not being done to them by not allowing them to compete and this does not help to empower their intelligence.

The semester system adopted does not allow much time for them to digest and analyse the voluminous information and knowledge being pushed down their throats.

What matters is 'vomiting' out the information on to the exam papers and after that they can forget about it. Next semester there will be other papers and what was taught in the first semester will not be asked again in the second semester.

Life in matriculation schools is about cramming information. Interaction is only amongst the bumis with a sprinkling of non-Malays who perhaps will also keep to themselves. There is very minimal cross interaction and learning from students of other races.

It is not so bad for those who came from an urban background, but for the Malays who are from rural schools, they will remain in their cocoon. Hence, when they enter university, it is an emotional and cultural shock.

You can't blame the students (both bumis and non-bumis) for only clicking with their own kind.

They feel insecure with the other and they sometimes compete unhealthily. Knowledge is not shared and it is not unusual to hear that important reference materials only get passed from one person to another of the same race.

Study groups consist only of one group of students of the same race. Talk about polarisation. Who polarised them? Talk about unity and Bangsa Malaysia, who disunited them?

I do not understand why the government cannot see the 'loss' the bumi students are experiencing in the long run. Let's adopt one entry system. The setback will only be temporary to the bumis.

We can turn the matriculation schools to Form Six schools. Teachers in the matriculation system should have no problems teaching in Form Six since the there is not much difference in the syllabus and they are also graduates majoring in the subjects they are teaching.
Teachers in the matriculation should also be exposed to the more experienced STPM teachers (if this is the perception).

With regards to the criteria for university entrance, which may not necessarily be 100 percent academic, I would agree that students of all races from disadvantaged backgrounds and rural schools (unless the Education Ministry is saying that all schools are of the same calibre) be given due consideration.

However, whatever the criteria is, the students must know all of them and how much weightage each carries.

Let's hope concerned Malaysians who feel strongly about the university entry system will not stop discussing about it.

In fact I think we all should form an NGO specifically to work towards a common pre-university education that will open the way for a common university entry examination.

I can only say that the recent 'heroic' act by our prime minister in allowing the 128 non-bumi students to do medicine is a political ploy and the scripts have been acted out well.

Perhaps next year, he will ask the universities to take in Indian students who are not selected and the year after that, Malay students who made it but were not given the opportunity. All the three main races are kept happy using the rotation system!

(Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud is the information chief of the Dewan Muslimat PAS Pusat. Her letter was posted in malaysiakini.com.)