The education minister is right to say that national schools should be the choice of parents in this country.

But the ministry should also make a sincere study on the reasons why non-Malay parents are rejecting these schools and plan a revamp of them taking into consideration the concerns of all Malaysians.

There must be a revamp of the whole concept - from the manner they are administered by only one race, their curriculum which does not take into consideration the aspirations of the non-Malays, their student management policies and the composition of their teaching and non-teaching staff.

The general public must have confidence in the education system. Keeping national schools as they are and asking all to support them is pointless.

Our Malay leaders must also be able to convince the bumiputeras to accept some basic changes in the character of the national schools to reflect the multi-racial composition of our population.

Are they ready to take on this challenge for the sake of our nation's future?