Ramasamy rips into Maszlee for linking private employment to matriculation quota

GEORGE TOWN: Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik should not link the continuation of the matriculation quota with what he alleges is unfair employment practices for bumiputras in the private sector, says Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy.

He said Maszlee should take up the matter at the Cabinet level if bumiputras were really having problems getting employed in the private sector.

“Why is he raising the matter in public?

“Does he want to score some political points with a predominantly Malay crowd?

“If this is so, what action is the government taking to rectify the situation rather than linking it to the matriculation quota system?,” he said in a statement Friday (May 17).

Ramasamy added that the employment of Chinese and Indians is limited in the public sector.

“Can Maszlee take the initiative to change the quota system since the bumiputras constitute the vast majority of employees?

“After he (Maszlee) said much on the colour of school shoes and the weight of bags, he seemed to have nothing much to add in terms of forward-looking policies to propel the education system,” Ramasamy said.

Maszlee was believed to have uttered remarks linking the continuation of the matriculation quota with the existence of unfair employment for bumiputras in the private sector while attending a town hall session at Universiti Sains Malaysia Thursday (May 16).