KUALA LUMPUR: The number of Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and equivalent certificate leavers offered placements in public universities increased by 90.1% over the past seven years, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said a total of 4,530 STPM and equivalent leavers were offered placements for the 2018/2019 academic session while as many as 8,612 were offered for the 2024/2025 academic session.
He also said there are open or commercial pathways that operate on an “over and above” principle and do not interfere with projections for the main intake.
“Open channels will also have to undergo an evaluation process and adhere to qualifications, alongside compliance with academic conditions, language skills and programme criteria.
“There is no compromise on standards set by accredited bodies,” he said in a written reply on Wednesday (July 30).
Zambry added that the open channel model shows the growing maturity of the higher education system, noting the rapid developments in the academic world.
“This requires universities to be quick on their feet and have their own financial resources,” he said.
He stressed that the ministry is committed to ensuring access to tertiary education continues to grow and benefit all Malaysians.
He was replying to Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam), who asked why fewer STPM top scorers were admitted through the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) system compared to matriculation and foundation students since 2018.
Dr Wee also asked about a lack of government funding, forcing public universities to overcome the shortcomings through open channels, resulting in higher tuition fees.
