AN academic group wants Putrajaya to do away with race-based admission to public universities and opt for full meritocracy in higher education.

Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak) secretary general Rosli Mahat said the quota system for university admission had become redundant because of the large number of places now available.

“We call for admissions to be based totally on merit,” he said at a press conference with the National Patriots Association (Patriot) today.

Rosli said the focus should not only be on widening access to higher education, but should also include needs-based affirmative action.

This needs-based system should not be limited to income and socio-economic background of a student’s family but also include “groups with a disadvantage” such as those who are the first in the family to attend university.

“In sports we always choose the best based on merit . We never choose those who become our representative in the Olympics based on race. Same with medicine. You don’t go to the hospital and say I want a Malay doctor or I want a Chinese doctor, you will say I want a specialist and the best doctor. Same with education, I want the best teacher or lecturer. That’s why we are (also) pushing for merit in the appointment of lecturers,” he said.

Rosli said an office of diversity and inclusion should also be established.

Gerak is also calling for universities to be given more autonomy on admissions instead of the current centralised system.

“Since we have more than 100 universities and university colleges, there is no need to have a centralised university admission.

“Each university should be allowed to evaluate all the applications to their university and decide who should come in.”

The group has also called on the government to replace all politically appointees in university administrations, and suggested that a national search committee should be set up to appoint members of a university’s top management.

Gerak has submitted a memorandum of its demands to reform Malaysian higher education to minister Maszlee Malik on June 11.

However, he said Putrajaya had only acted on some of the 10 key demands.

Gerak is also wants university administration to be restructured, abolishing and amending laws that stifle academic freedom, introducing creative pedagogy and alternative assessment practices, a review of academics’ key performance indicators, dissolution of the National Professors Council, a safe and inclusive working environment, putting a stop to unethical academic practices and establishing a committee on Institutional Reforms for Higher Education. – April 22, 2019.