BY: KEN WATANABE

When Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz appealed to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) to prioritise public healthcare by temporarily opening a cardiothoracic programme to non bumputras it was met with a hostile reaction.

The MMA president cited that an acute shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons in the country has led to extended waiting times for critical surgeries causing unnecessary deaths among patients including a significant number of bumiputras.

UiTM was established in 1956 with the aim of only admitting bumiputra students in an effort to help rural Malays secure a tertiary education and has ever since strictly abided by this policy to safeguard the education of Malays.

In a show of solidarity with the UiTM’s administration, students were dressed in black in strictly wanting to abide by Clause 1A of Act 173 in accordance with the provisions of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution granting Malay’s special rights and privileges.

But is this really a show of defiance or determination? There is a fine line between defiance and determination and in this irrational bid to protect Malay special rights and privileges people are dying.

The onus of guilt of the deaths of these heart patients of all races and religion should weigh heavily on UiTM for their obstinacy of not showing compassion and humanitarian values which is the core value of any educational institution.

The absurdity of defending Malay special rights and privileges, which no one in this country in their right mind would want to question, should give way to universal values of healing and preventing deaths rather than defending a race or religion.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher