MCA Youth: 69 non-bumi 10A students hoping for matriculation entry

Sixty-nine non-bumiputera students who scored 10As in SPM this year were among those who were denied entry into the matriculation programme before the government eased racial requirements.

The Education Ministry is set to announce the results of the university matriculation appeals tomorrow and MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon said the wing is determined to ensure these 69 students will be among those who get spots in the programme.

“We look forward to a clear response from the Education Ministry on whether these 69 students can all be admitted to matriculation,” Ling said at a press conference at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

The 69 SPM top scorers highlighted by MCA Youth were among 173 students who sought help from the wing with their appeals to gain entry into the matriculation programme.

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

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced last week that those who scored 10As or higher would be guaranteed a spot in matriculation institutes, regardless of race.

However, there has been a lack of clarity over the announcement, especially on how it will co-exist with a quota of 90 percent intake for bumiputera that the government is keeping in place.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth education committee chairperson Ong Chee Siang criticised Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh for not actively advocating for the appeals of non-bumiputera students seeking entry to the matriculation programme.

In a brief response, Wong urged MCA Youth not to politicise the issue, clarifying that the ministry has been assisting students with their appeals, which were completed through the Education Ministry’s system on June 30.

The government only announced the easing measures for entry on the evening of June 30.

What about those with fewer subjects?

Meanwhile, besides the 10A students, others who had sought help from MCA Youth to get into matriculation were four students who had scored 9As.

Commenting on this, Ong noted that the government’s announcement of a 10A requirement for guaranteed access to the matriculation programme is unfair.

“What about students who got 9As, 8As, or took seven subjects?” Ong questioned.

He also questioned if Anwar’s announcement aimed to shift students’ focus solely to academic courses at the expense of extracurricular activities. 

He warned that students planning to take eight or nine subjects might now opt for 10 or more subjects in the future.

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