The Ministry of Education has offered 1,000 special places for outstanding Chinese Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students from the B40 lower income group for the 2018/2019 session matriculation programme.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik stressed that the increase in the special offer to Chinese students would not affect the intake of bumiputera students to the matriculation programme.

Until yesterday, he said more than 800 places under the special offer had been filled.

"The Pakatan Harapan government always sticks to its stand to assist all outstanding and academically qualified students and who have a need to be helped due to their socio-economic level," he told a media conference at his ministry today.

With regard to Indian students under the programme, Maszlee said the previous government had announced an additional recruitment of 700 students in April.

The KPM matriculation programme is a pre-university programme provided by the government for bumiputera students to pursue their studies for their first degree in professional science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In 2003, the programme provided 10 percent of places for non-bumiputera students in order to create a healthy competition while strengthening national integration and racial unity.

For the 2018/2019 session, Maszlee said 84,891 applications were received including 20,040 applications from non-bumiputera students.

"A total of 4,068 non-bumiputera students have been offered a place in matriculation colleges for this session," he said.

Asked whether the 10 percent intake of non-bumiputera students to the matriculation college would increase next year, he said the government would see its need. - Bernama