KUALA LUMPUR: Scrap racial quotas for entry into matriculation programmes and foundation courses for public universities, said MCA education bureau secretary Chong Sin Woon.

“Since 2003, entry for non-bumiputras in matriculation programmes is set at 10%. As for asasi courses, many of them are only open to bumiputras. Of late, some asasi programmes are open to non-bumiputras but there is a quota on them,” he said.

“The only pre-university programme for public universities that does not have a racial quota is Form Six. Because of this, many non-bumiputra students who cannot enrol for matriculation will go to private universities which are more expensive,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

He said the MCA had no problem with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) as part of affirmative action to help bumiputras.

“But other public universities should not limit enrolment of non-bumis,” he said, adding that 185,022, or 36%, of public university students were from UiTM last year.

The issue on quotas is one of several recommendations proposed by the MCA during a dialogue session on June 25 with the Education Ministry to improve the education system.

The MCA had also raised the matter on the poor grasp of Bahasa Malaysia and English among Chinese school students.

“While it is important that we protect the Chinese language, it is also crucial that students are competent in English and Malay,” he added.

-The Star-