Fadhlina assures matriculation offers for remaining 10A SPM students by mid-August

KUCHING: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has assured that the remaining 712 students who scored 10As in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) will receive offers for matriculation by the third week of August.

She stated that the offers would be distributed in stages, with the final offers being given out by the third week of August.

“You all are the first batch. Hearing from the Minister of Education, all 10A students will be offered matriculation, secara berperingkat (in stages), with the latest by the third week of August.

“Why third week of August? Because the Central University Admission Unit (UPU) intake is in the second week of August, we are giving our kids an opportunity to choose.

“As of now, 712 students with 10As have not received matriculation offers, and the Ministry of Education (MOE) will ensure that all will get offers,” she said.

Fadhlina was addressing inquiries and concerns raised by several MPs, including Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, who is also the Padungan assemblyman.

On June 30, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that all students who achieved 10As or more in their SPM would be given the opportunity to enter the pre-university programme.

On Tuesday (July 9), Chong invoked Standing Order 18(1) to present an urgent motion in Parliament, seeking approval from the House of Representatives to debate the issue of SPM students with 10As being unable to enter the pre-university programme.

He raised this issue during the special session in Parliament yesterday.

Chong said the students had studied tirelessly to achieve excellent results but when applied to government universities to enter the pre-university programme, they were met with rejection.

Therefore, he said, the Prime Minister’s announcement is seen as a minor reform in education policy, something unprecedented in the past, to avoid these outstanding students from being disappointed again.

Moreover, he said this issue should no longer be politicised as it was in the past, where students had to rely on political figures to help them appeal.

Chong also expressed hopes this policy will become permanent, allowing every student with 10A’s each year to enter the pre-university programme, regardless of race.

However, despite the Prime Minister announcing this highly praised new policy, Chong pointed out that a few days later, when the matriculation admission results were announced, many students with 10A’s or more found that their applications were still rejected.

“I understand that the decisions for the first batch of pre-university admissions were made before the Prime Minister announced the new measure.

“But we believe that after the Prime Minister announced the measure, the Ministry of Education should have immediately made internal adjustments to ensure that the pre-university admission decisions were consistent with the Prime Minister’s announced policy,” he added.