"In fact, I contend that there are still 7,168 unfilled university places as these two groups should not be included in this year’s university intake," said DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang in a statement.

According to Lim, the first group of 5,761 matriculation students who enrolled in universities last November should be counted in the intake for the 2000/2001 academic year and not the current year.

"The second group of 2,604 matriculation students in the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) should also not be included since the university is not considered as one of the 14 local public institutions of higher learning," Lim said.

Yesterday, Education Minister Musa Mohamad claimed that with the inclusion of the two groups of matriculation students to the figure of 30,800 mentioned by the ministry’s Higher Education Department Director Hassan Said last Wednesday, the actual number of students offered places at public universities is 39,197 or 1,197 more than the targeted admission of 38,000.

However, Lim pointed out that Musa did not make any attempt to explain Hassan’s stated reason that a shortfall of qualified bumiputra science students had resulted in only 30,800 university places being offered, which is a 15 percent drop in total university intake this year.

"Musa even claimed that with the additional 8,365 bumiputra students, the new figures still show a 55:45 ratio of bumiputra to non-bumiputra students," Lim said.

Lim added that it is impossible to have the 55:45 ratio both before and after the 8,365 extra bumiputra students have been added to the total as the number of non-bumiputra offers have not increased.

He explained that out of 30,800 places, the 55 percent bumiputra allocation translates to 16,940 places; 35 percent Chinese, to 10,780; and 10 percent Indian, 3,080.

The additional 8,365 bumiputras will give a new total of 39,197. Hence, the bumiputra and non-bumiputra ratio would have changed to 25,305 (64.6 percent) to 13,860 (35.4 percent).

"This is way out of the 55:45 quota for bumiputras and non-bumiputras for university admission," Lim said.

Lim also asked Musa to release all university intake figures for the past 25 years to establish whether the government had adhered to or deviated from the 55:45 ratio.

The opposition leader claimed that in 1990, out of total university enrolment of 53,670, bumiputras comprised 65.9 percent (35,361) while non-bumiputras comprised 34.1 percent (18,309).

Ten years later in 1999, out of a total 139,290, bumiputra students comprised 69.9 percent (97,836) while non-bumiputra students comprised 30.1 percent (42,084), he said.

He said, "Every year Malaysia loses hundreds if not thousands of the best and brightest of each generation to foreign countries because there is no fair university admission policy in the country."

He urged the cabinet to adopt a new policy of university admission as it is an acid test of whether we are ready for the challenges of globalisation, information and communication technology in the 21st century.

Lim also pointed out another discrepancy, this time in the figures given by Deputy Education Minister Hon Choon Kim.

Hon had said that Chinese students obtained 1,586 places out of the 4,998 offered to SPM students for degree courses in three universities.

"Hon does not seem to know that 1,586 out of 4,998 is only 31.7 percent, when the quota for Chinese students is 35 percent, which should give a figure of 1,749 - a reduction of 163 places," Lim said.

He criticised the MCA ministers and deputy ministers of not being diligent in discharging their responsibilities.