I feel really upset for my sister B right now. I know she worked really hard, she is one of the most diligent student I've met in my entire life. She never have any extra tuition that is so common in Malaysia. She studies by herself and always managed to be one of the best student in her schools (primary and secondary schools). She is also a very talented athlete who competes in various sports in state level. To me, she is one of the brilliantly well-rounded students in Malaysia.
While I know I am very biased (she is my sister after all), I've seen others who are not as active as my sister. For the fact that she is consistently ranked on top, I am pretty pissed at the government body who rejected her application to good schools, such as controlled schools (I don't know whether they have changed their system or names, I've not kept up with the latest) or boarding schools.
In Malaysia, we have tier school system (or something akin to that). There are major boarding schools or premiere schools such as Fully Residential Schools (SBP) and MRSM (Mara Junior Science College). I am a product of SBP. There is also controlled schools such as Sekolah Aminuddin Baki, Victoria Institution, Sekolah Bukit Nanas and so on. All of us excepting B are product or current student of controlled schools or boarding schools (okay my explanation is vague but I'm too lazy to elaborate on this, it's a boring topic to me).
Anyway, these schools are good schools with great curriculum (actually they are similar to other ordinary day schools but the teachings are probably dissimilar), teachers and study environment. They have great facilities with good reputation that will somehow or other help in students' future undertakings. Anyway, it is well known that admission is very limited. Criteria are strict and some of them are: perfect results (5As for UPSR entry level and 8As for PMR entry level) and disadvantaged background (poor family/income below average and coming from non-city area). Extra co-curricular activities also helps. While ideally the criteria are as I stated before, how come more than 50% of student populations from these 'so-called' good schools are rich and 'not-so-disadvantaged' students? All of these rich students are usually from urban areas and their parents are rich nabobs.
Truthfully, the criteria only work for poor people who are gullible like my family. The rich ones, well, they deserved their golden tickets don't they? They have all the advantages in the world. And the motive of establishing these good schools of providing good education for good students who are otherwise disadvantaged? That motive doesn't work, mostly. While I agree they help people like my family (my sisters and I) to gain good education, they also help those who definitely don't need extra help like my rich friends.
I am not envious of rich people. I love my friends, may they be rich or not. Hey, their parents work hard for their money, they deserve to spend it. It's just that, please don't use stupendous reasons like 'helping disadvantaged students' to reject brilliant students like my sister while we all know they have a special 'Dato/Tan Sri' list out there for 'special' admission students (aka rich people's offspring). I absolutely hate this system. It's unfair. But then again, this is life. Isn't there and adage saying 'the rich will only get richer and the poorer will always get poorer'? I pray that B will get what she wants eventually. As for the government, well all governments in the world have corruption here and there, isn't it? Corruption and power seemed to go hand in hand.
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