MARA SCHOLARSHIPS for ALL MALAYSIANS?

MODEST PROPOSAL#1:

"Replace MARA SCHOLARSHIPS with ALL-MALAYSIANS SCHOLARSHIPS ... rethink meaning of M.A.R.A."
by Azly Rahman

As an educationist wishing to see the advancement of children of ALL races who, through merit and needs ought to be given the chance to be rewarded for their hard work, regardless of their parent's political affiliation, religious background, ethnic origin, I am saddened by news of continued discrimination on the disbursement of educational funds.

Why must scholarships be reserved only for "Bumiputras" of which the definition is now called into question? Why must essentially all "Malays" be helped when others are Malaysian citizens too? Has not the objective of helping "Bumiputras and Malays" been achieved and now it is time to radically the way one thinks about helping children of all races whose parents have shed sweat, tears, and even blood .. in order to surrender their Natural rights to the State, in their pledge to become Malaysian citizens and not merely Malays, Chinese, Indians?

Why are MARA SCHOLARSHIPS reserved primarily for the Malays only? Why are MRSM only for a large percentage, if not a hundred percent, for Malay children only -- even if their parent are millionaires? Why is UiTM still a Malay entity? Why do we continue to think like tribal nations or post-industrial tribes running an educational conveyor belt and state-sponsored mass babysitting business called schooling, along the lines of race, religion, and class? Why do we love the apartheid system so much and create a system of raising Malaysians who will grow up continue to hate each other?

Who is taking care of the Tamils, the Orang Asli and Orang Asal, and those victimized and dehumanized by the predatory and parochial system of progress we have created?

MARA means "Majlis Amanah Rakyat" loosely translated as The Council of Indigenous Peoples' Trust", an entity that evolved from RIDA (Rural Industrial Development Authority). What does "amanah rakyat" mean these days? who is the "rakyat"? Aren't they those we called "Malaysians", trumpeted in that slogan called 1Malaysia? who are the "indigenous people? are they the ones who conveniently hijack the definition of Malays or Bumiputras via political needs of a coming elections? .. or are they rightfully citizens of Malaysia who have become "hybridized" Malaysian -- those loyal Malaysians whose parents are of Bugis, Javanese, Achenese, Chinese, Tamil, Arab, Turkish, etc, descent who are now being scrutinized and denied of their rights to be educated and to be intelligent by a system that denies them opportunities -- all in the name of these false dichotomy of Bumiputra and non-Bumiputras used as political tool to intellectually massacre future generations.

MARA ---- move forward, nor backwards. Behave better by making more policy changes -- before more questions deconstruct you. You are entrusted to help the rakyat .. not just one tribe. In the meantime by changing your outdated policies , you will be respected for thinking like a true blue 1Malaysian entity.