Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, said maintaining the Bumiputera quota does not mean that other students would be barred from enrolling into public universities.

“Of course, there will be a quota for the Bumiputeras, as it’s stated in the Federal Constitution. But that does not mean we are denying (students) of other ethnicities from enrolling.

“I think it is a misunderstanding that can be corrected,” Zahid told reporters at a press conference at Dataran Merdeka here.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said quotas for Bumiputeras in institutions of higher learning should be maintained though slots should also be given to high-achievers from other communities.

Wong was quoted by Malaysiakini earlier today as disagreeing with Anwar on the matter, saying it made it seem like Malaysia had regressed to the 1960s and 1970s.

She claimed that the quota was one of the reasons why local public varsities have failed to rise in global university rankings.