The chief minister of Selangor state, where the Universiti Teknologi Mara is located, triggered an uproar when he suggested on Sunday that the institution could offer 10 percent of its places to other races.
Selangor's chief minister, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, reportedly said the move to include other races and foreigners into the university would allow students there to gain more exposure and be friendlier to people of other races.
Abdul Khalid's remarks triggered a protest by 5,000 students from the university who took to the streets Tuesday and marched to the chief minister's office, waving placards saying, ""Do not seize our rights,"" and ""Save UITM.""
UITM vice-chancellor Ibrahim Abu Shah said the public university was reserved for bumiputras as a majority of students in leading fields of study in higher-learning institutions in Malaysia were non-Malays.
Ibrahim said he found it ""weird"" that the chief minister, being a Malay leader himself, should have made the suggestion.
