Is opening up UiTM part of Anwar's liberalisation agenda?

Commentary by political editor Wan Hamidi Hamid

AUG 13 – It may be politically incorrect at the moment for Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to ask the federal government to allow a small number of non-Bumiputra students into Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

But it should also be no surprise to those who have been following Khalid's Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) agenda towards a more equal opportunity society as espoused by the party's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Before and after the March 8 general election, Anwar has been consistent in his promise towards uplifting the poor and marginalised Malaysians while ensuring continued protection of Malays.

For the former deputy prime minister, this means that while the pro-Bumiputra policy will be pursued despite the end of the affirmative action New Economic Policy, dismantling it is a process that must be done in stages.

It is for this reason that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid is only proposing a 10 per cent intake of non-Bumiputra students into UiTM instead of suggesting the Bumiputra-only university be open to all.

Even with that, thousands of UiTM students, almost all of them Malays, took to the streets yesterday to protest Khalid's suggestion, claiming that their institution must forever be in the hands of Malays.

Anwar, who was sacked by then premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and subsequently jailed a decade ago, has been voicing his concern after his release from prison, over what he termed as abuses of the NEP, alleging that the poor Malays benefited little while the rich Umno leaders gained all the perks from the affirmative action policy.

"By far the most damning case against the NEP is that it has been hijacked by the ruling elite to satisfy their lust for wealth and power. No doubt this was a multiracial rip-off of the most systematic kind: the leaders of the component parties of the ruling coalition working hand in glove with Umno to deprive the deserving Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans of the benefits that were to be derived from the NEP," said Anwar, who is now preparing to contest his old Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election on Aug 26.

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