THE government must not use a report from a biased group to justify the Bumiputera-only policy of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek said today.

He called the government “unreasonable and absurd” for basing its decision on a report from Bumiputera Economic Congress.

“The race-based congress cannot be considered objective or impartial. The methodologies used in arriving at its findings lack racial inclusivity, intersectionality, and are clearly influenced by self-interest,” Zaid said in a press release.

He said the existence of racially exclusive public institutions, 67 years after independence, was a matter of national shame.

Zaid said it is unconstitutional to bar non-Bumiputera from enrolling in UiTM.

“Let us be clear that nothing in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution allows for the establishment of a racially exclusive university in Malaysia. Article 153 only permits a reasonable proportion of educational privileges to be reserved for Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Zaid was responding to Higher Education Minister Zambry Abd Kadir’s statement in parliament that UiTM would remain closed to non-Bumiputera student because of a need to close the socio-economic gap between the races of Malaysia.

“The 2024 report from the Bumiputera Economic Congress by the Economy Ministry shows that there remains an economic gap among Bumiputeras in terms of average monthly income, corporate equity holdings, poverty rates, skilled workforce production, and professional qualifications,” Zaid said.

“Given this, maintaining UiTM’s policy for Malays, Orang Asli, and the people of Sabah and Sarawak is necessary to achieve the government’s goal of bridging racial disparities,” Zambry said..

Zaid criticised the government’s reliance on empty racial rhetoric and biased reports, urging immediate action to address the unconstitutional nature of UiTM’s Bumiputera-exclusive policy.

“We call on the government to rectify UiTM’s unconstitutional policy and ensure compliance with Article 153 of the federal constitution. Non-Bumiputeras should not be deprived of opportunities due to UiTM’s discriminatory policy.” – June 27, 2024.