Transparency needed to ensure fairness in matriculation enrolment, says group

Students sitting for SPM typically take nine subjects in school, with the addition of electives to score 10As or more. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Human rights group Pusat Komas has called for transparency in the opening up of matriculation colleges to all students who score 10As and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination.

In a statement, Pusat Komas said it would be closely monitoring the implementation of the initiative.

“We would like to see a transparent and just mechanism being put in place so that well-deserving students do not feel like they’re being discriminated against,” the group said.

Pusat Komas urged the government to clarify if the initiative only applied to those scoring 10As and above, as many straight A students do not take 10 or more SPM subjects.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that all students who scored 10As and above in their SPM would be guaranteed a spot in matriculation colleges regardless of race or background, starting with the 2025 intake.

However, he said the existing Bumiputera quota for the matriculation programme would not be affected because, while meritocracy was important, there was still a need to avoid putting marginalised and poor communities at a disadvantage.

Anwar said the education ministry and the higher education ministry would work out the details of the initiative.

Yesterday, Anwar explained that Putrajaya’s decision to admit all SPM top scorers, regardless of race, into the matriculation programmes was intended to reduce tensions in the education system.

He said the Bumiputera quota for admission to matriculation colleges had caused controversy at times, with some arguing against minority rights and others questioning the rights of Bumiputeras.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim said the government should stick to being meritocratic in allocating matriculation spots if it wanted to reduce tensions in the education system.

He also asked how many non-Bumiputera students would be able to hit the 10A-mark as not everyone took 10 subjects or more.

Zaid added that the Bumiputera quota in matriculation colleges should be done away with so that high scorers with fewer than 10As would be able to enrol, regardless of race.

Students sitting for SPM typically take nine subjects in school, with the addition of electives to score 10As or more.