From ballot box to exam hall: GE15 results turn up in Perlis SPM trial

 

The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) trial examination in Perlis has raised eyebrows after the results of the last general election made their way from the ballot box into the examination hall.

A question in the History paper, sighted by Malaysiakini, featured the number of parliamentary seats won by various political parties in the 15th general election.

Worth four marks, the question appeared in Paper 2, which consists of essay questions. Presented as a table, it required students to comment on the number of seats secured by the respective parties.

The question was included in the July 29 examination involving about 30 secondary schools across Perlis, as part of the state’s SPM Excellence Intensive Programme jointly organised by the Malaysian School Principals Council of Perlis (Majlis Pengetua Sekolah Malaysia Negeri Perlis).

Its inclusion has prompted questions over whether the performance of political parties should feature in an examination when partisan politics is not part of the History syllabus.

The Form Five History syllabus covers topics such as nationhood, sovereignty, and the Federal Constitution, but does not deal specifically with political parties or partisan politics.

On social media, many netizens, particularly students, voiced their dissatisfaction, saying the question came as a surprise because the topic had not been covered in their syllabus.

Others, however, felt the question was timely, arguing that exposing students to politics could be useful given that Malaysians are now eligible to vote at 18.

‘Partisan politics inappropriate’

Several academics, however, questioned the decision to name political parties such as Pakatan Harapan, BN, and Perikatan Nasional in the trial examination.

Historian Suffian Mansor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) said partisan politics was not appropriate for students at the SPM level.

“If it is at SPM level, it shouldn’t be done. It is important to introduce the concept of the nation-state. If you want to touch on which party the prime minister belongs to, that would be at a higher level.

“Even at Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) level, I think students are still learning the basics. In my view, such questions are more suitable at university level for political science or history subjects.

“For SPM, I think they can cover topics such as the formation of the nation and racial cooperation. Because if political parties are involved, students will end up scratching their heads,” he told Malaysiakini.

Academic figure Alimuddin Dom, meanwhile, said the question was unnecessary, particularly since such material would not feature in the actual SPM examination.

The former Education Ministry director-general said: “Academically, there is no such question. Questions like this will not appear in the actual examination. There is no way an identical question like this would come out in the examination.

ADS

“It would be better not to mention the names of political parties. If you want to use parties, refer to them as Party A or Party B. Do not use the actual names of political parties,” he added.

Alimuddin urged question setters to steer clear of elements that could invite controversy.

“Instead, the question could touch on the formation of the nation, for example, requiring students to understand how a country is built or introducing them to what an election is,” he added.

Tread carefully

National Parent-Teacher Association Consultative Council (PIBGN) president Ali Hasan said the Education Ministry needed to tread carefully.

He said the issue was not merely about whether the question was academically appropriate, but also the risk of students being encouraged to take sides.

“I hope the ministry or the Education Department will be careful with sensitive questions like this. Some may say it is appropriate, while others may say it could potentially divide our citizens.

“This matter should be handled carefully so as not to touch on political parties. There is nothing wrong with including political awareness and knowledge, but when it comes to Malaysian political parties, it needs to be carefully considered,” he said.

Malaysiakini has contacted and emailed the Perlis Education Department for further clarification and is also seeking a response from the Malaysian School Principals Council of Perlis. - Mkini