Open Discrimination

Okay, one more university goes down the respectability bin. I didn't know that the Open University of Malaysia (OUM) derived its name from practising "open discrimination".

Thanks to a post by Sdr Lim Kit Siang, we get to see an advertisement for a Corporate Secretary Certificate course by Institute of Professional Development of OUM which blatantly discriminates between bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras.


Basically, the enrolment requirements for potential students is differentiated according to whether you are a bumiputera or non-bumiputera. If you are a bumiputera, only 12 months of working experience is as a prerequisite. However, if you are non-bumiputera, the prerequsite working experience can vary between 18 months to 2 years, depending on whether you are working in a related field. What type of justification can OUM come up with to require such prerequisites?

OUM was set up with one of its principles to utilise "the latest technologies to improve the delivery systems. One of the emerging delivery systems much talked about is Open and Distance Education which is fast becoming the way of providing education to the masses."

As a result of this new phenomenon, in August 1999, the Minister of Education invited Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations Sdn. Bhd. (METEOR), a consortium of 11 public universities in the country, to set up an open university. The move by the Minister led to the establishment of Open University Malaysia (OUM) in August 2000 followed by its official launching on 26 August 2002...

It is laughably hypocritical when it is proudly stated on the OUM website that

OUM adopts the motto “University for All" which is consistent with its philosophy on democratisation of education. This philosophy underlies the belief that education should be made available to all, regardless of time, place, age and social economic background.

Clearly one of OUM's missions to "democratise education" is subject to ridicule with discrimitory policies such as the above. OUM also claims to have the "shared values" of "Integrity", "Professionalism" and "Caring". I can see clearly, a lack of "integrity", total absence of "professionalism" and little in terms of "Caring".

To quote Sdr Lim:

How can national unity make headway when educational institutions, in particular tertiary institutions, become hot-beds of discrimination, division and disunity, as in the case of OUM-IPD course and advertisement mentioned.

Many administrators and academicians in tertiary education institutions have lost sight of the Rukunegara philosophy and principles, which see Malaysia’s ethnic and religious diversity as an asset that should be taken advantage of to create a united, just, democratic, liberal and progressive society.

In most other professional institutions overseas, the vice-chancellor would have had to resign for permitting such discriminatory practices. I would strongly encourage the new Minister of Higher Education to publicly reprimand the university for carrying out such unjustified racial discrimatory practices against Malaysians.

The entry requirements outlined by OUM for its course is just absolutely disgraceful!