FTES students must pass BM to graduate, says Annuar

KUCHING: Students enrolled in private higher education institutions under Sarawak’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) must still pass the required Bahasa Malaysia subject to graduate, even if the language qualification is not an admission requirement.

Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said Malaysian students who did not possess the required Bahasa Malaysia qualification would have to take and pass Bahasa Kebangsaan A as part of the compulsory Mata Pelajaran Pengajian Umum (MPU) component of their university studies.

“The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) does not explicitly stipulate Bahasa Malaysia as an entry qualification for private universities, although Malaysian students must fulfil the prescribed national language requirement before they can graduate.

Annuar said Section 41(5) of Act 555 requires Malaysian students to achieve the prescribed standard in the national language before being awarded a certificate, diploma or degree.

He said the distinction between admission and graduation requirements is important, as students would have the opportunity to fulfil the language requirement during their studies.

He expressed confidence that students could meet the requirement within their university programme, noting that they could have up to four years to do so.

“FTES is intended for eligible Sarawakians accepted into participating universities and enrolled in the 64 courses covered by the scheme, subject to the applicable admission requirements,” he said.

On the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), Annuar said Sarawak’s recognition of the qualification provided another pathway for eligible students to pursue higher education at participating institutions.

He added that students admitted through alternative academic qualifications would still need to fulfil the relevant Bahasa Malaysia requirements before graduation.