Culture & Entertainment · Malaysia Bureau
NGO challenges Mara chief's interpretation of Article 153 at UiTM
A civil rights organisation has disputed the Mara chairperson's recent remarks to university students, arguing they misrepresent the constitutional provision's true purpose of achieving equality.
LSN Malaysia ·
Pusat Komas has issued a public rebuke to the chairperson of Mara following a speech delivered to students at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), contending that the remarks contradict the fundamental objectives of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.
The human rights and civil society organisation stated that the Mara chief's address to the student body presented an interpretation of the constitutional article that diverges from its intended purpose. According to Pusat Komas, Article 153 is fundamentally designed to advance equality rather than entrench divisive practices.
The dispute centres on differing understandings of how Article 153 should be applied in contemporary Malaysian society. While the Mara leadership appears to have emphasised certain aspects of the provision during the UiTM address, Pusat Komas argues this framing obscures the article's core objective of establishing equitable treatment across communities.
The exchange reflects ongoing tensions in Malaysia over the interpretation and application of constitutional provisions governing rights and privileges. Civil society groups continue to scrutinise public statements by government and institutional leaders on these sensitive matters, seeking to ensure that policy discourse aligns with constitutional principles.
Neither Mara nor UiTM has yet publicly responded to Pusat Komas's criticism regarding the speech and its characterisation of Article 153.