This year's Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) results showed encouraging performance with 21,101 candidates or 4.9 percent scoring straight As in either seven, eight or nine subjects.

Last year, only 16,312 candidates (4.2 per cent) obtained A in all subjects.

Education director-general Dr Ahamad Sipon said results of disabled students were also encouraging with 679 of the total 701 candidates or 96.9 per cent of them obtaining the minimum Grade D in at least one subject.

According to a Bernama report, he added there was improvement in students' performance in 11 subjects.

The subjects included science which showed an increase of 3.4 percent in the number of students scoring A, Kemahiran Hidup Bersepadu Teknikal (3.4 percent), Kemahiran Hidup Bersepadu Pertanian (3.1 percent), English (2.3 percent), History (1.9 percent), Kemahiran Hidup Bersepadu Ekonomi Rumahtangga (1.4 percent), Mathematics (1.2 percent) and Geography (1.1 percent).

Ahamad said 54 students were selected best PMR students this year for their excellent performance.

Student Rabiatul Adawiah Abdul Basir of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tok Jiring, Kuala Terengganu was named the top scorer for scoring As in all nine subjects, Mohd Akmal Mohd Syafiq Suresh of Sekolah Menengah Alam Shah, Putrajaya (eight subjects) and Tay Su Ann from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Infant Jesus Convent Johor Baharu (seven subjects) while Muhammad Zahari Bakar from Sekolah Menengah Seri Bintang Selatan Kuala Lumpur was named the best student among the disabled candidates.