PARLIAMENT | Higher Education Minister Mohamad Khaled Nordin today stressed there are no preferential “quotas” for placements in public universities through the matriculation system, as opposed to Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia holders.
In his winding-up speech of the Supply Bill 2024 committee stage debates, Khaled also said ongoing improvements are being made to the application system for placements in all public universities, polytechnics and public skills training institutes.
“The ministry has constant efforts to facilitate and maximise the number of entries into public universities and public skills training institutes based on principles of meritocracy.
“This takes into account 90 percent of academic achievements and 10 percent co-curricular activities, disregarding any elements of religion, race or state,” he said.
“For your information, applicants who are STPM holders and those from matriculation are placed on the same level to compete with one another,” he said in response to Chow Yu Hui (Harapan-Raub).
Earlier in his debate and during a separate press conference in Parliament, Chow had raised a perceived lack of meritocracy in the higher education application process, in favour of matriculation students over STPM holders.
“In principle, even though racial quotas at public universities were abolished 20 years ago, a matriculation system that relies on the racial quota still provides ‘unfair advantage’ and leads to ‘structural violence’,” Chow told reporters earlier today.
However, Khaled said there are times when matriculation candidates will earn more placements and other times there will be more STPM holders.
“There is no quota set for matriculation students or STPM holders,” he said.
Khaled also noted Chow's proposal for a unified application system but added that any decisions on the status of the matriculation programme for Form 5 students leaving school are under the purview of the Education Ministry. - Mkini
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