According to press reports, state MCA secretary Ho Cheng Wang, the education system here only recognises those with straight A1s as top scorers. He also said, 'It is not fair to say that a student who scored, say 15 A1s, is better than a student who scored 15 A1s and a A2'.

Not only is it unfair; fundamentally, it is simply not right. There is much to revamp in the education system, but this latest revelation of its definition of a top scorer, is a clear indication to all that something is very wrong with the principles by which its policies are set.

The ministry officials who impose this 'standard' risk creating disillusionment and cynicism in young minds whose sense of right and wrong is yet to be twisted by the sad rationalisations people make when such unjust realities are forced upon them.

But this anomaly is not solely the concern of Chong Huey Ee, the student who scored the 15 A1s and one A2. There is something bigger at stake here beyond the award and recognition and that is basic mathematical value and logic.

Chong not only equaled the other so-called top scorers but did better by scoring an additional distinction, a lesser A though it may be. It simply does not compute that she is not the top scorer, and it doesn't take anyone with 15 A1s to know that, notwithstanding ministry officials.

Otherwise, Malaysian children (and adults) will have to internalise a new (universally incongruent) mathematical value: 15 A1s > 15 A1s + 1 A2!