So if the racial quota is shifted to pre-U isn't that the same thing?

To get into pre-U you need matrikulasi or STPM, to change the quota to race based, you make certain race entrance easier through matrikulasi and make certain race harder to get in through STPM.
In fact you can manipulate race based quota in university by just adjusting difficulty of matrikulasi vs STPM.

U are aware we take in from all sorts of qualifications, right?

STPM, matriculation, asasi/foundation, A-levels, IB, AUSMAT, various diplomas etc?

There are many courses in IPTAs nowadays that have more bumi dan non-bumi!

Come up, keep up with the current news!

The statement doesn't support that the university is based on merit. As I mentioned, entrance through matrikulasi can be manipulated, which in turn allows certain race to get in easier.

If you make certain pre-U easier and only allow certain race to take that pre-u so that their entrance to university is easier, that is already not merit based .
I can't understand why you think public university is merit based when :-

- PM itself admitted it is not.
- The public do not think it is.
- Higher education minister admitted it is not.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023...s-khaled-nordin

Seriously, you should really read the articles you've been quoting. Khaled Nordin mentions "not solely based on ACADEMIC merit".

Keyword = ACADEMIC.

What other merits are there?

Well I'm glad you asked! There are curricular activities, work experience, prior learning etc.

You see how you've been taking news piecemeal without understanding the whole picture? This is not hard. You don't need an IPTA degree to see this.

because I am right.

as if UITM will admit Sarawakians on need basis.

Afaik it is always <15%.

Non-bumis make up 13.5% of public uni enrolment
By RAHIMY RAHIM, GERARD GIMINO and ARFA YUNUS
Nation
Monday, 23 Oct 2023
10:27 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR: The enrolment of non-bumiputra students in public universities stood at 13.5% last year, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Data from the Public University Data Collection System showed the total number of local students in public universities was 551,082 as of last year, he said in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Oct 23).

"Out of the total, the breakdown of enrolment for bumiputra students stood at 86.5%, which is 476,796 students, compared to 13.5% non-bumiputra students, or 74,286 students," he said in reply to Datuk Willie Mongin (GPS-Puncak Borneo).

Mongin had asked the ministry to reveal the total public university enrolment and breakdown of local students by bumiputra and non-bumiputra as well as religion.

He also wanted to know the courses students picked.

Mohamed Khaled said 94.7% (451,579 students) of bumiputra students in public universities are Muslims while 5.3% are non-Muslims.

"Of the non-bumiputra students, 92.1% (68,403) are non-Muslims while 7.9% are Muslims.

"The three top fields chosen by local students... are social sciences and business law as the (most popular) choice; engineering, manufacturing and construction as the second (most popular); and science, mathematics and computer science, third," said Khaled.

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023...wan-rakyat-told

86.5% for bumiputra local public unis enrolment?
Then it is more than bumi in % population already.

It does not confirm the existence of a race-based quota at public universities for degree level. Why?

Because politeknik, kolej komuniti and UITM are all categorized as IPTA.

Again you're not addressing the statement below. EVERYONE knows it is way easier in matriculation and if there is race quota to be in matriculation and therefore no longer about merit.
I repeat if you make it easier for a certain race to get in, it is no longer merit.

Because I've been part of the team in handling the intake for UTM for over 10 years, I can tell you for sure that we do not make it easier for certain races to get in. It's not about race.

And we don't make it easier for matriculation either. Nope.

Because this would not explain why certain courses like medicine or engineering will occasionally have more non-bumis.

Then how do you "derate" matriculation results vs matriculation results if you claim you don't make it easier for matriculation. Is a 4.0 matriculation equivalent to a say 3.6 STPM or vice versa?