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November 03, 2009 17:49 PM
Everyone Has A Place Under The Malaysian Sun - Dr Chan
KUCHING, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- There is a need to instill confidence in the nation's young people that they have a place under the Malaysian sun if the country is to actually practise the 1Malaysia concept, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan.
Referring to the plight of Marina Undau, a science student of Iban-Chinese parentage whose application to enter a matriculation programme was rejected by the Education Ministry because she is not a Bumiputera, he said it was the right of every Malaysian to receive a decent education according to their capabilities.
"We don't worry about the Bumiputera or non-Bumiputera status when we talk about 1Malaysia. All these things will be a thing of the past when we really practise the concept," he told reporters after launching the International Energy Week 2009 (IEW 09) at the Borneo Convention Centre, here, on Tuesday.
Citing his recent trip to India, Dr Chan said he found it to be a vibrant country, especially the young people of Bangalore who were full of confidence and energy.
However, he was confident that the government would look into the provision of Article 161a of the Federal Constitution, which states that in Sarawak a Bumiputera child must be born to Bumiputera parents, and amend it.
"I for one will definitely do my level best to help her get a decent education. I am very unhappy if she does not," he said, referring to Marina, 18, who scored 9As and 1B in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, but had since returned to her old school, Sekolah Menengah Sri Aman, to attend Form Six.
Marina has an Iban father and Chinese mother.
He said it was important that the people must think of themselves as Malaysians and that those needing assistance should be given, regardless of their racial background.
Earlier, he said the local workforce was young, educated and trainable, with the state and federal governments providing training aimed at meeting the demands of the state's industries.
In fact U-Score (U-Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy), a consortium of universities and colleges in the state, had taken the initiative to plan and assist the government to develop human capital, he said.
He was optimistic the initiative would assure investors that the supply of highly skilled manpower was readily available.
-- BERNAMA
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