Zambry: SPM remains main entry requirement for IPTA admissions

“KUALA BERANG, May 19 — Admission to public higher education institutions (IPTA) through the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) Online is still based on the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir. He said the government, through a Cabinet decision, has set that the basic requirement for admission to higher education institutions via UPU Online is SPM, regardless of the stream or type of school attended. “I have previously emphasised that the government and the Cabinet have decided that admission to any IPTA must be based on SPM. It does not matter which school a person attended; admission through UPU remains based on SPM. “We need to understand that schools are managed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE), while university admissions are handled through UPU Online. The requirements under UPU Online are based on SPM. We do not base admissions on other results, subjects or certificates,” he said after the launch of the Higher Education Roadshow @Terengganu, held in conjunction with the handing over of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s (UMT) Kampung Angkat MADANI here today. Elaborating further, Zambry Abd Kadir said the ministry does not base university admissions on certificates or systems outside the existing framework. “To enter UPU and IPTA, the basic requirement (SPM) remains the same. I believe that is the position I have consistently stated, but this issue has become controversial among certain groups, with some feeling that the opportunities provided are still insufficient. “For me, what is most important is the foundation of our education policy - that entry into university must be based on SPM,” he said. Commenting on allegations of discrimination against students from religious and pondok schools, he said the government does not discriminate against any group, but instead sets the same basic requirement for all students - namely, sitting for the SPM examination to enable them to pursue tertiary education. “We do not discriminate against any party. The basis we have set is clear. However, some have portrayed this as a form of manipulation by comparing religious schools with other schools, which is not the case. We are not making comparisons or equating them, as both operate under different systems,” he said. He added that although there are differing views on the policy, the government stands firm that SPM is the primary basis for university admission in the country. — Bernama

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