Siamese community seeks clarification on ‘bumi’ status

Siamese community seeks clarification on ‘bumi’ status

More than 50 Kedah Siamese community leaders presented a memorandum to the Kedah State Umno Liaison Committee chairman, Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, today to seek clarification on the bumiputra status of the Siamese community in the country.

More than 50 Kedah Siamese community leaders presented a memorandum to the Kedah State Umno Liaison Committee chairman, Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, today to seek clarification on the bumiputra status of the Siamese community in the country.

The memorandum will be forwarded to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Ahmad Bashah said the Siamese community wants clarification from the prime minister on their status as they also want be accorded the same privileges enjoyed by the Bumiputera.

“In the application to public universities, the category of races listed is ‘Thai’ which refers to a foreigner or a non-bumiputera.

“This has brought about confusion on their bumiputra status,” he said when speaking to reporters after receiving the memorandum Senator Boon Soon Inong yesterday.

Meanwhile, Boon Soon said 24 Siamese students failed to obtain places in public universities this year because of their “unclear” status.

There are about 80,000 Siamese in the country, with 40,000 of them in Kedah.

– Bernama