Education Ministry must be transparent on the issue of Matriculation intake of Indian students.

Today's parliamentary question no 1 was on the Education Ministry. The Deputy Prime Minister ( DPM) himself came to Parliament to reply. The deputy Education Ministers were also in Parliament.

The Government had promised to increase the allocation of seats for Indian students to pursue matriculation from 506 to 1506. The Prime Minister  had announced this "special increase"early last year to garner votes from the Indian community. But the promises were not kept.

Late last year only 800 students were given places in Matriculation for the Indian community. Thus I asked DPM not only to announce policies but  must also honour it. Don't cheat the Indian community. Is this too much?

The reply by DPM is in my statement below.

After the DPM's reply thereafter interestingly the Speaker threatened to throw me out if I continue to make these allegations of untruth etc. I retorted if the Government is giving wrong statistics , I have to speak out.

I will speak out without fear and favor as an elected rep.

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Media statement by M. Kula Segaran , DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Parliament on 27th June 2013

Education Ministry must be transparent on the issue of Matriculation intake of Indian students.

I posed a supplementary question today in Parliament to ask the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin why the promise of offering 1500 matriculation seats for Indian students remains unfulfilled.

I further mentioned that HINDRAF’s Waythamoorthy while signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PM Najib just before the 2013 elections had secured 7.5% of the total intake to matriculation which works out to 2200 students.

The Indian community has been for years taken for a ride by BN as the promises have not been kept. Many students who have obtained good results, some with 8 or 9 A’s, have not secured a place to study matriculation. 

The vast majority of Indian students come from the lower income group. Although they do well academically, due to financial constraints, they are unable to further their studies. So continuing at the matriculation is a way out.

Every day, especially in the Tamil papers, we can read reports that very qualified students are denied pursue matriculations studies. Even in today's Star, we see a Chinese student who got 12 A's failed to enter matriculation.

Statement made by Deputy Minister of Education P Kamalanathan just a week ago created confusion when he had said:-
1.      For 1st intake,  1500 places offered, taken up by 892 students
2.      For 2nd intake,  350 places offered, no information on how many taken up.
3.       
If 1st intake taken up by 892 students, then why were 608 not taken and offered immediately?

Why offer another 350 in 2nd intake when the 1st intake places not fulfilled?

Hence, there is false public impression that a total of 1850 seats were offered!

A. Tiruvendgamalam from the NGO had led students to Prime Minister’s department and submitted a memorandum complaining about the intake issue.

All concerned about the intake to matriculation question the actual numbers taken for matriculation.

I am now shocked and dumbfounded when the Deputy Prime Minister states that the present intake is 1800. He further said the qualification to enter matriculation has been reduced.

All theses sound great and nice. But the reality is many eligible and qualified Indian students have failed to secure a place in matriculation. Why?

Education Ministry must disclose the details of those who have been admitted to further their matriculation studies. The reluctance and failure to disclose the names of successful students further strengthens our argument that the total of 1800 students accepted is not true.

We demand transparency from the Education Ministry.



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