PETALING JAYA: Admissions to public universities are based on meritocracy, says the Higher Education Ministry.
It said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 9) that when assessing candidates for admission, 90% of the decision comes from academic achievements while the remaining 10% is based on their co-curricular activities.
The ministry then said that all UPUOnline results are generated by the system based on merit scores determined for each course or programme applied for, refuting claims of gaps in the current system.
“The UPUOnline system evaluates every application using individual merit scores, from highest to lowest, before offers are made,” it said.
The ministry then said that the process depends on merit scores, meeting general and programme-specific requirements, interview and/or test endorsements. where applicable, availability of places, and the applicant’s programme of choice.
According to the ministry, a total of 1,255 Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) candidates with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.00 applied, with 1,249 already offered places and six more to be offered once the required documentation is completed.
It then added that 78,883 candidates from Matriculation, STPM, Foundation, Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM), Diploma or equivalent qualifications have been successfully offered places at public universities to pursue bachelor’s degree programmes.
The ministry also said that the STPM top scorer who raised a complaint through a Member of Parliament has, in fact, been offered a place at one of the country’s leading research universities, which was also his fifth choice.
The candidate, who scored a CGPA of 4.00 in STPM and achieved a co-curricular score of 9.90, giving him a merit score of 99.90%, had applied for several accounting programmes.
“The candidate has, in fact, been offered a Bachelor of Management with Honours (Strategy & Organisation/Marketing/Finance/Operations/International Business/Islamic Finance/Business Analytics).
His ranking for the accounting programmes applied were:
> UM – 2,291 eligible applicants, with 1,127 achieving 100% merit. The candidate ranked 1,129th, while UM offered 85 places.
> Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) – 4,154 eligible applicants, with 1,718 achieving 100% merit. The candidate ranked 1,724th, while UPM offered 100 places.
> Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) – 2,595 eligible applicants, with 1,282 achieving 100% merit. The candidate ranked 1,288th, while UUM offered 350 places.
> Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) – 2,292 eligible applicants, with 1,060 achieving 100% merit. The candidate ranked 1,062nd, while UTM offered 55 places.
In this regard, the candidate was offered a place based on merit achievement and programme choices, similar to other applicants,” the statement read.
The ministry also guaranteed that all STPM or equivalent students who apply to pursue studies at public universities with a CGPA of 4.00 would be given a placement.
“At the same time, the Department of Higher Education remains open to feedback and suggestions for improving the system.
The UPUOnline appeal consultation counter is open for candidates seeking further information, including those who were unsuccessful, at the lobby, Higher Education Ministry, Putrajaya, until September 12, 2025,” the statement read.
On September 8, a top STPM scorer, Edward Wong Yi Xian, who achieved a perfect CGPA of 4.0 and a near-perfect 99.9% overall merit score, claimed he was rejected by UM for its Accounting course.
He raised this grievance through MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, after all six of his applications to public universities via UPU—including UM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), UPM, and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)—were rejected without an interview, and he was instead offered a place in Management at USM, his fifth choice.
