KUALA LUMPUR – Allowing non-Bumiputeras entry into Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will not resolve the shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons in the country, says the leader of the Shah Alam branch’s student representative council (MPP), Amir Nur Rashid Lizam.
Amir, who is currently pursuing a degree in law, questioned why this matter was suddenly brought up when the issue of cardiothoracic surgeon shortages is not new and has been under discussion since 2021.
“Shortages of experts in the field of cardiothoracic have been an ongoing concern, with discussions dating back to 2021.
“Opening UiTM admission to non-Bumiputera students to address this issue may not necessarily be the best solution,” he told Scoop.
Amir also said that allowing temporary admission of non-Bumiputera students to UiTM could establish a precedent, potentially triggering a scenario where the institution encounters escalating requests for exemptions.
“This may lead to a ‘backfire situation’ in the future. We do not believe in such ‘temporary’ as it will be the point or precedent to ask for more with the same argument, ‘we once did it, why not do it again?’. Therefore, let us stand firm for what is unique to this institution,” he said.
When asked about prioritising the public interest by opening UiTM’s cardiothoracic surgery postgraduate programme to non-Bumiputera applicants in order to address the shortage of specialists, Amir said that UiTM already graduates a sufficient number of students to meet the demand.
“Given that the MMA had said the time-bound nature of the arrangement as ‘temporary,’ why not verify the qualifications of the current institution to continue operations until the programmes and facilities at Universiti Malaya are ready for operation?” he said.
Amir also stresses that UiTM as an institution must preserve its objective of helping Malays, Orang Asli, and Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak.
“We firmly maintain our stance that UiTM must always be preserved for the Malays.
“To us, UiTM stands as the sole bastion for Malays in higher education. Recognising the ongoing need to support our community, preserving UiTM’s unique identity is imperative, regardless of the challenges we may face,” he added.
Amir said that the student body wasn’t protesting, instead, they were focused on raising awareness about UiTM’s values within the Malay community.
“We’re not protesting, we’re organising a campaign to raise awareness that UiTM needs to remain as it is now and in the future.
“We’re not planning any demonstrations. We’re simply using our social media platforms to spread the message because our previous video statement didn’t deter people from discussing and suggesting changes,” he added.
Previously, the student body shared a statement on social media expressing their opposition to proposals from the MMA to admit non-Bumiputera students into UiTM.
They encouraged all students to wear black as a symbol of unity and to use the hashtag #MahasiswaUiTMBantah on social media. – May 18, 2024