UM students' group criticises govt for matriculation admission ‘flip-flop'
PETALING JAYA : A students' group at Universiti Malaya has criticised the government for its 'policy flip-flop' on the eligibility of non-Bumiputera Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia holders for admission into the matriculation programme.
University Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president Lim Jing Jet questioned an education ministry circular issued on April 30 declaring that A- will no longer be recognised as Grade A.
The circular states that Grade A refers to A and A+ grades, including four subjects graded with merit.
In a statement, Lim contrasted this with the government's introduction last year of the '10As policy' and its promise that all non-Bumiputera students who achieved 10As in the SPM examination would be eligible for admission into the matriculation programme.
'Under the 10As policy, a student with 9A+ and 1B is considered less qualified than a student with 10A-, which is clearly unreasonable and unfair.
'Yet, at the time, the education ministry ignored public concerns and proceeded unilaterally.
'This recent 'shrinking' of the policy is nothing more than an attempt by the government to limit the number of eligible applicants and cover up the deeper structural contradictions in the system,' he said.
On June 30 last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said all students who score 10As and above in the SPM examination, regardless of race or background, will be guaranteed a spot in matriculation colleges starting with the 2025 intake.
'This decision ensures that all top SPM students have the best opportunities to pursue higher education,' he said.
Lim said Umany criticised the government for using the 10As policy to 'pacify non-Bumiputera voters' while refusing to address the root issue of racial quotas in university admissions.
'The matriculation programme's long-standing 90:10 ethnic quota significantly limits non-Bumiputera students' access to higher education and weakens the nation's overall talent competitiveness.
'If the education ministry genuinely seeks a fair and transparent higher education system, it must abolish the racial quota system and establish a unified university admission mechanism – only then can the root of the problem be addressed.
'We reiterate, no matter how it is adjusted, the 10As policy merely treats the symptoms, not the cause,' he said.
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