Kamalanathan gesa pengesahan bertulis syarat ekuiti Bumiputera untuk pusat tuisyen

Former Malaysia Education Deputy Kamalanathan has urged the Ministry of Education (KPM) to issue written guidance stating that the minimum 30% Bumiputera shareholding requirement for education centers has been abolished. Addressing the KPM's decision to waive this condition, Kamalanathan called for the ministry to clarify whether the change applies to new applications and centers seeking renewed licenses.

He also urged the KPM to revise all related guidelines on its portal to prevent any confusion. "The KPM's decision to waive the minimum 30% Bumiputera shareholding requirement for private education institutions under its purview is the right decision for national education," he stated in a statement. Kamalanathan further emphasized that educational centers should be evaluated based on teacher quality, student safety, and learning outcomes rather than the ethnic composition of their shareholders.

The former Hulu Selangor MP expressed gratitude to KPM and the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry for listening to the concerns of governors, parents, and stakeholders, ensuring the education sector remains open to those wishing to contribute to national education development. Yesterday, KPM announced that the minimum 30% Bumiputera shareholding condition would no longer be mandatory for sole proprietary companies operating private education institutions under its jurisdiction.

This move came as a result of discussions with the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry and aimed to meet the sector's current needs while ensuring that the space for participation in education remains open to all parties interested in contributing to national education development. The issue arose earlier this week after Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung exposed KPM's guidelines allegedly mandating that centers possess 30% Bumiputera shareholding for license renewal next year.

The Malaysian Parents Action Group questioned the requirement that forces established businesses, some operating for decades, to relinquish 30% of their ownership to maintain operations. Sarawak-based academic Sharifah Munirah Alatas also expressed concern, stating that the criteria risk creating ethnic sentiment in the education sector and may not necessarily encourage robust Bumiputera entrepreneurship.