YB Dato Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz hosted a dialogue at his Ministry on December 8,2003 with the MCA & MIC Youth on opportunities for students at the Maktab Rendah Sains Malaysia. At this dialogue YB Ong Tee Kian the MCA Youth leader together with MIC Youth leader Mr S.Viknesvaran presented various submissions on the intake of non-Malays namely Chinese & Indians into the MARA residential colleges. They highlighted problems and possibilities in this context.
After hearing the various submissions Dato Seri Mohamed Nazri said that he was now using his power as the Minister in making specific decisions on the implementation of the 10% intake on non-Malays in the residential colleges for the year 2004 and called on both the MCA and MIC youth to ensure the target is recruited.
The Minister clearly highlighted 6 key responses. Firstly, 260 places are made available for Chinese and Indian students out of the 2,600 admissions for 2004, which is 10%. All these places must be taken up by the non-Malays. The MCA and MIC must ensure that these are taken by the respective groups.
Secondly, the Ministry will establish a special bureau on the enrollment of non-Malays with a full time officer based at the 19Floor of the Ministry at MARA building in KL. This special officer will liaise with all relevant parties on all matters pertaining to admissions.
Thirdly, first preference for admissions will be given to 5A students from SK schools only if places are not taken will it be offered to students with 7As from vernacular schools.
Fourthly, earlier guideline on location preference will not apply for the 2004 applications onwards as students from both rural and urban can now apply.
Fifthly, non-Malay students will be placed in only 5 colleges and not in all 19 colleges. The rational for this is to ensure that the 260 students are in large enough numbers for their special needs to be met. The 2004 intake will now place 52 students each at 5 residential colleges at Kulim in the north, Kuala Kubu Baharu in Selangor, Kuala Lipis for the east and south at Pontian and Muar.
Furthermore the Minister ensured at these places there is the possibility of vernacular classes if there is a request of a minimum of 15 students, special food menu and places of worship. These matters on religious and cultural dimensions were discussed and the Minister has made a commitment for MARA to take these sentiments into account.
Finally, the Minister noted that in the long run the lower secondary classes will be scrapped and intake will focus only on Form 4 and 5 only. However no date was fixed on this matter.
There is now an urgency for students to apply directly for the places that will begin in Jan.2004. Contact YSS for details 03-40415958
Address:
Tingkat 5, Menara Manickavasagam No 1, Jalan Rahmat, 50350 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
Phone:
6-03-4041 5958
Fax: 6-03-4041 5681
Email:
enquiries@yss98.com
