PUTRAJAYA: The requirement for students from various educational streams to take Bahasa Melayu and History is not yet a final decision for admission to public universities (IPTA).
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the move, which involves those taking the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), international, Arabic and religious school students, requires further study.
"The entire education ecosystem needs to be addressed first before the government can take the next step. This is very important," he said at a press conference following the launch of the National Education Plan (RPN) 2026–2035 today.
Zambry emphasised that the government's approach is to ensure policy decisions are comprehensive and cover all education streams rather than addressing the needs of a single group.
"We cannot solve one issue for just one community," he said, adding that future steps would only be announced after consultations with stakeholders to ensure admission policies are fair and consistent.
He said coordination between the Education Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry is necessary before any further measures are determined.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysian students in international, religious and UEC schools would be required to take Bahasa Melayu and History in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
In a separate development, Zambry announced that 10 polytechnics nationwide would be upgraded to offer degree-level programmes under the RPN.
The move aims to elevate the status of polytechnics from being a "second choice" to a primary higher education pathway.
He noted that currently only three polytechnics — Ungku Omar, Ibrahim Sultan, and the Shah Alam Polytechnic — offer degree programmes.
Zambry added that the initiative would include polytechnics in Sabah and Sarawak to ensure technical degree opportunities are available beyond the peninsula. - NST
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