Umno today criticised the Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) for calling for the abolition of the government’s matriculation programme, stressing that the scheme is vital to level the playing field for underprivileged bumiputera students.

In a statement today, Umno Youth exco Wan Zuhir Ghazali also described the STPM route as one typically taken by those with better financial and educational means, unlike the matriculation system.