Minister denies discrimination in university admissions

Admissions to public institutions of higher education (IPTA) in Malaysia are based on merit, particularly for highly sought-after courses, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, adding that the lack of placements for students in public universities should not be turned into a racial or discriminatory issue, reports Bernama.

“I have been informed that there is no discrimination in the admission of students to IPTA. The basis is clear: if a student has achieved all As in their subjects, they will be offered a placement. What is often debated is the preference for first-choice courses, which usually involve critical fields like medicine, pharmacy and dentistry,” said Zambry, who is also secretary-general of Barisan Nasional (BN), during a press conference after officiating the closing of the Perak BN State Convention.

Earlier, Perak MIC Chairman Tan Sri M Ramasamy highlighted in his speech at the convention that his party frequently received complaints about the lack of placements for outstanding Indian students in IPTA. He also raised the need to increase quotas for matriculation graduates. In response, Zambry said the issue raised by Ramasamy was not exclusive to the Indian community, as students from other ethnicities faced similar challenges.
Full report on the Malay Mail site