Govt lifts racial barrier for matriculation for all SPM top-scorers

The cabinet has decided to lift a racial obstacle for high-achieving non-Malay students to further their studies in matriculation programmes.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the decision was made at the cabinet meeting on Friday.

“We guarantee that (those who score) 10A’s and above (in SPM), from all races, will be given the opportunity to join matriculation programmes.

“Regardless of whether they are Malay, Chinese, Indian, or others, they must be guaranteed a spot by the government.

“This is a bold decision by the Madani government,” he said at the closing of National Training Week 2024 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium today.

However, he said the existing bumiputera quota for matriculation programmes remains in place.

Matriculation is a pre-university programme offered as an alternative to STPM by the government.

The programme has a 90 percent bumiputera intake quota, with the remaining 10 percent open to non-Malays.

The specifics of how this quota will co-exist with the new lifting of restrictions for top scorers are expected to be detailed in a future statement that Anwar said would be released by the Education and Higher Education ministries.

‘Don’t unravel constitutional principles’

The racial quota had been a sore spot for non-Malays who view it as a lack of meritocracy in education.

Royal Education Award recipient M Nahvin called out this inequality in his acceptance speech last year, noting how he was accepted into matriculation while his equally qualified friend was not.

“He felt defeated as if it was the end of his life. He became lonely and depressed because he felt he was not good enough.

“When I entered matriculation, I felt surprised because there were students who had grades that were similar (as my friend’s) and even lower than his.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my friend is no more. I can assure you that if he was given the same opportunity as I, he would be the one giving this speech and not me,” Nahvin related.

Anwar in his speech today stressed that the government would continue to defend bumiputera quotas and policies.

“Some say that when we continue bumiputera policies that had been agreed to in the past... that it is an apartheid policy.

“Don’t say that, it brings no benefit. Don’t unravel constitutional principles,” he said.

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