PUTRAJAYA: All parties are urged to stop excessive pressure on the issue of university admissions via the UPUOnline system as it would only worsen the situation, says Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
In a video posted on social media on Saturday (Sept 13), the Higher Education Minister urged all parties to strengthen confidence in the country's higher education system for the future of students in the country.
"The ministry is always open to discussion and suggestions from all parties and to avoid any manipulation from certain parties who are trying to worsen the situation," he said.
"I always remind all parties to be cautious when issuing statements or when pushing for matters that could cause anxiety and make for an uneasy situation, especially regarding access to higher education, as we have heard recently about the situation of students wanting to enter university," he said.
He said the appeal and consultation process is provided by the ministry through UPUOnline, while there is a special office in the lobby of the ministry building to assist students facing problems with their applications.
"As I have already said, the Higher Education director-general (Prof Dr Azlinda Azman) and UPUOnline has informed that all these issues can be resolved through the process," he said.
He said the Ministry would always work to resolve any issues that arise among students who apply through the UPUOnline to ensure they have the opportunity to pursue higher education.
"So, we will help with this and we understand our students' situation. Every year, some apply and some don't get it. Some people get it but feel they need to make some changes. This is normal and has been done for a long time," he said.
In this regard, he advised certain parties not to over-exploit the issue to achieve the goals of specific groups or political interests.
"The ministry is always working to ensure fair opportunities are given to all students through a system based on the principles of meritocracy, demographic distribution and socio-economic considerations, including students from B40 families," he said.
He added that the UPUOnline system has been functioning well for a long time, including for matriculation, foundation and STPM (Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia) channels, while emphasising that the ministry always ensures that the system runs smoothly. – Bernama
