Shift in entry criteria sees some denied spots, reigniting debate over fairness

Shift in entry criteria sees some denied spots, reigniting debate over fairness

- Hazlin Hassan

KUALA LUMPUR - When Ms Veronica's daughter scored 10 As in her school-leaving exam, the family was confident she would secure a coveted place in Malaysia's public pre-university course, known as the matriculation programme.

This was because Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had publicly assured on June 30, 2024, that all students who score 10 As - typically defined as a mix of A-plus, A and A-minus grades - in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams would be guaranteed a spot in the programme, regardless of race.

The SPM exam is equivalent to Singapore's O levels.

The matriculation programme, which is akin to pre-university education here, takes one or two years to complete.

The latter is a public education route that is much highly sought after, as those on it are guaranteed places in Malaysia's public universities, making it a cheaper option than private local colleges.

As a reference, the cost to study computer science at a public university can cost about RM10,200 (S$3,111) per course, while the cost of attending a local private tertiary institution starts from approximately RM62,000 for the entire course.

Ms Veronica's 17-year-old daughter scored A-plus grades in six subjects, A in two subjects, and A-minus in another two, and got a near-perfect merit score of 99.46 out of 100 for her academic achievements and co-curricular activities.

But when the placement results were released in May, she was unexpectedly left out.

"We genuinely had high hopes of her getting into the matriculation programme. We believed she had a fair chance, so when she wasn't offered a spot, it was a real disappointment for our family," said Ms Veronica, a government servant who declined to use her full name for fear of repercussions.