8% Allocation for Indians in IPTA?

Oh well… This is another big joke we have here. Take a look at this excerpt from NST.

“On a related issue, Kamalanathan issued a press statement calling on the government to ensure that eight per cent of places in all higher education institutions are allocated to Malaysian Indians.” - Source

Ok, I know that I’m a bit too late to highlight this. Maybe highlight is the wrong word. Whatever. My grouses are not with the main article which you can read from the source link above. We all know how the PSD scholarships are awarded, so I need not waste your time with such rantings. What I DO want to highlight lies in that excerpt above.

8% of places. A measly 8% allocation to a specific race. This is education, goddamnit! The future of our brothers, sisters, and children. WHY OH WHY does it have to be confined to a meagre 8%?

I am not asking the powers that be to “give us Indians” more. For now, I know the reason behind giving Indians 8% allocation in IPTAs. It’s because of some significant yet un-fucking-important statistic that says Indians represent more or less 8% of the Malaysian population.

Whatever the hell happened to meritocracy? If meritocracy was in effect, there shouldn’t be allocations by race. If IPTA’s are 100% occupied by Malays because they achieved better results than all other races, then so be it. The same shall be applied for Indians and Chinese and Punjabis and Ibans and Kadazans and Muruts and even the Orang Aslis. If you study well and if you have outstanding extra-curricular activities participation, then by all means, you should be given a scholarship, or at least a place to study and the course YOU chose. 50 years of independence and you give us half-baked numbers?

Can you simply accept that “they” have given us Malaysian Indians 8%?! NO! We don’t want allocations. Give us a free arena to compete with our brothers and sisters of different descent. The better the competition, the better the result, don’t you think?

Since this “issue” of Lishaliney has been highlighted in the PuteraMIC blog, let’s see what will they do. But I pose a different question altogether. Will you “fight” for our full allocation of 8%, or will you “fight” for a meritocracy system to provide equal chance in education? If PuteraMIC manages to read this article, I’d be glad to have your answers. And please try to explain them, thank you.