92 Mukherjee, Singh, Fernandez-Chung and Marimuthu
185,635 and an output of 43,946 graduands. UiTM’s enrolment constituted
16.7 per cent of the total enrolment of private and public HEIs together.
Under the Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Programme (BEEP), UiTM
enrolment is to be raised to 250,000 by 2020 with the addition of several
new branch campuses.
Student Admissions Based on Meritocracy
In 2002, the student admission policy changed from the ethnic quota system
reflecting the population distribution in the country to meritocracy where
the minimum entry requirement is 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average
(CGPA). There are three major pathways to public universities. One, a
standardized national examination constituting a two-year programme at
the end of eleven years of schooling leading to the Malaysian Higher School
Certificate (STPM). Second, a one-year or two-year foundation programme,
developed and conducted by some public universities in their Centres
for Foundation studies, and the third, a programme run by Matriculation
Colleges at the end of eleven years of schooling. Matriculation/Foundation
2-year and 1-year programmes are much sought after compared with the
FIGURE 4.1
Enrolment in Public Universities by ethnicity, 1970–2009Source: Various Malaysia Development Plans 1971 to 1985; Years 2002–2009 compiled by Yayasan
Strategic Sosial Malaysia.
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%1970 1975 1980 1985 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Bumiputera Chinese Indian Others