Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will stay true mission to “empower the Bumiputera’’ and will not change its student admissions policy to admit students of all races.

Vice-chancellor Shahrin Sahib said neither the Senate nor executive council had discussed changing its student admission policy, adding this was in line with the Higher Education Minister Zambry Abd Kadir’s statement that the government remained committed to the original objectives of UiTM.

Following a proposal for the institution to admit students of all colour, Zambry had said that certain parties had taken advantage of the situation to create confusion and conflict.

The UiTM’s student council had opposed the suggestion, urging its members to dress in black in protest.

The student body had said that all 214 of its members firmly defended UiTM’s founding objectives as an institution for Malays, Orang Asli, and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

Shahrin today said the university would adhere to Section 1A of the UiTM Act 1976, which stipulates that UiTM was established in accordance with the provisions of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

“We will continue to carry out the mission and vision of this institution to empower the Bumiputera,” Shahrin said in a statement today.

He urged the students to focus on their studies and to “use their time at the university wisely”.

The Malaysian Medical Association had recently urged UiTM temporarily open its postgraduate cardiothoracic surgery programme to all students because of an acute shortage of medical specialists, especially cardiothoracic surgeons. – May 16, 2024.