KINIGUIDE | Every year, tens of thousands of keen SPM, STPM, matriculation, foundation, and diploma graduates pin their hopes on the centralised public university admissions system (UPU) to secure a place in local universities.

However, the process has often left students confused and frustrated over rejections despite high scores, placement in courses they never applied for, or a lack of transparency in the selection process.

Malaysiakini unpacks how the UPU system works and why controversies continue to surface.

What is the UPU?

Established in 1972 as the Unit Pusat Universiti, UPU was rebranded multiple times before its current name (Unit Pengambilan Pelajar) and position under the Admission Management Division (BPKP) for public higher education institutes under the Higher Education Ministry’s Higher Education Department.

According to the ministry’s website, BPKP is tasked with managing and coordinating admissions into public higher education institutions - namely public universities, polytechnics, community colleges, and public skills training institutes.

While the first three decades since its inception saw the UPU imposing ethnic quotas within public universities to provide bumiputera households with greater access to tertiary education, the government abolished such race-based admissions in 2002.

However, some programmes and entry pathways remain primarily reserved for bumiputera students only.

Some universities also offer...