SRI AMAN - Marina Undau, who was in the media spotlight recently following a controversy surrounding her ‘Bumiputra’ status, is now a happy girl after she was offered a scholarship to pursue a degree in engineering at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus in Kuching.

Initially, she was offered a place at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Batu Pahat, Johor but she rejected it due to unforeseen circumstances.

Grateful

Proud father Undau @Unau Liap said Marina registered at the university yesterday under arrangements that were handled by Yayasan Sarawak.

He thanked Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu and Yayasan Sarawak for helpng Marina, who scored 9As and 1B in her SPM examination last year.

“As her father, I’m very touched by the help of all those people and also the media who have highlighted the problem faced by Marina and made sure we overcome that problem,” he said when met at the family’s residence at Taman Pasir Panas here before they left for Kuching to send off Marina.

Eldest daughter

According to him, Information, Culture and Communications Deputy Minister Joseph Salang called him recently to enquire about the latest development surrounding Marina’s university application.

“I told him, ‘Datuk, my daughter was picked to further her studies in Swinburne University under the arrangements made by Yayasan Sarawak’”, he told the Boneo Post.

Marina is the eldest daughter of Undau, an Iban, and Chinese mother Wong Pick Sing.

The former SMK Simanggang student was in the spotlight after it was revealed to the media that her application to enter a public university’s matriculation programme was rejected because she was not considered a Bumiputra.

Administrative ruling

This sparked an uproar in Sarawak with calls for amendments to be made to the Article 161A (6) (b) of the Federal Constitution.

The Cabinet has thus far made an administrative ruling for offspring of mixed parentage, of whom father or mother is a Bumiputra, to also be classified as Bumiputra.