PETALING JAYA: Allowing all students who scored 10As and above entry into the matriculation programme is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to ensure inclusivity, say educationists and parent groups.
They were responding to the announcement on Sunday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that all SPM students, regardless of background, who scored 10As and above would get a placement in the matriculation programme starting this year.
Educationist and former Universiti Malaya professor Tan Sri Dr T. Marimuthu said the Cabinet’s decision is a move towards meritocracy, ensuring the ablest and brightest would contribute to the country in the long term.
“It is an encouraging move, especially with many SPM top scorers expressing heartache about not getting placements over the years,” he said.
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He, however, expressed hope that no differentiation would be made among students who scored 10As and those with a mixture of A+, A or A-.
He also expressed hope that students from underprivileged families would not be left out.
Citing the 90% reservation of places for bumiputra students in the existing quota system with the remaining 10% share among non-bumiputra students, he questioned whether there would be enough places for both the talented and the poor within the 10%.
“Some students from poor backgrounds may not score 10As but may score five to nine As. It is admirable for these students to score this number of As. They should be considered,” he said.
He suggested that placements be given to these students in other pathways such as diploma courses offered in public universities.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim expressed concern that the matriculation quota still remains at 90% for bumiputra, 5.5% for Chinese, 3.5% for Indians and 1% for others.
“The matriculation course is for high achievers. There will be little impact unless the quota system is abolished and students are offered places according to their outstanding grades.
“Otherwise, there should be a gradual and concerted move to reduce the bumiputra portion to raise the overall quality of education,” she said.
She also said PAGE is concerned that while all school-leavers are subjected to the one-year course, weaker bumiputra students could opt for the two-year course.
“Do away with the two-year course if matriculation is truly for high achievers,” she said.
In a letter to The Star, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Faculty of Syariah and Law Assoc Prof Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow said fairness in education is very important to move the country forward, adding that there are many benefits to allowing universities be open to all.
“Students would be able to mix with individuals from other communities and backgrounds, thus allowing the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences among themselves.
“In the end, this would increase the quality of the students, enhance their level of confidence and social skills, develop their ability to live in a multiracial society, and much more,” he said.
Mother-of-four Lisa Rahim, 38, said she welcomes Anwar’s announcement as it is timely.
“These students must have worked very hard to obtain the 10As and therefore they must be given every chance available to pursue further studies,’’ said Lisa, who is from Kuala Selangor.
“We live in a multiracial country; every student should be given an equal chance to pursue education if they are high achievers,’’ she added.
Businessman Zakwan Omar, 38, said he also welcomes the move for all top scorers to be given a fair chance.
The father of a four-year-old daughter said he believes the move will also push bumiputra students to perform better as opposed to resting on their laurels.
“When I was a student, we felt entitled as bumiputras and did not work as hard as we should as we knew we will somehow get a chance.
“This move will make Malay students become more competitive and hardworking as well as push them to achieve their fullest potential,’’ said Zakwan.
NGOs involved in educational matters in Melaka meanwhile said they hope that the Education Ministry would outline a fair and comprehensive mechanism to get students with a significant number of As a place in any matriculation programme regardless of race or locality.
Melaka Consumer and Environment Association chairman K. Muralikrishnan said that since 2021, his team has had to deal with a number of SPM high achievers who had failed to secure places in matriculation programmes.
“I can share several heart-wrenching experiences of us handling cases of those achieving 10As and 9As who came to us pleading to help them secure a place in the matriculation programmes.
“These students were a determined lot, even willing to meet my team late at night just to fight for a place when their attempts to register were unsuccessful,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Muralikrishnan recalled one instance of a desperate female student with 10As from a neighbouring state approaching his team, led by the association’s woman and education bureau chief Azizah Haron, in 2021 to beg for help.
“Azizah decided to go to the Education Ministry office in Putrajaya to personally help the student after she told us that she would be left with no choice but to help her dad at his food stall if all avenues failed – that touched our hearts,” he said, adding that the team was successful and the student finally got to pursue her studies.
