KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 446 children of Armed Forces personnel scored five As or better in the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, up from 383 the previous year.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the increase reflected the positive impact of educational initiatives and programmes to help children from the defence community excel in their studies.
"Today, we celebrate the achievements of 446 students who obtained five As and above in the SPM, a significant increase from last year," he said during the Majlis Anugerah Kecemerlangan Pendidikan (AKP) 2026 at Wisma Perwira ATM here on Tuesday (June 9).
Khaled said education was a key element in ensuring the well-being of Armed Forces personnel and their families, while also contributing to the nation's defence readiness.
"We believe personnel carrying out their duties will feel more at ease and motivated if they know their children's future is being given attention and not neglected," he said.
He added that supporting the education of the children of military personnel was also a form of appreciation for the loyalty and sacrifices by members of the Armed Forces in defending the nation.
At the event, 181 students received the SPM Educational Excellence Award in recognition of their outstanding performance in the 2025 SPM.
Khaled also presented Public University Assistance to 32 recipients and Overseas University Assistance to five recipients who will be pursuing higher education.
He said the Defence Ministry had allocated a total of RM464,400 this year, benefitting 605 recipients through various educational assistance schemes and academic excellence incentives.
Of the amount, RM166,000 was allocated to 159 recipients through assistance programmes for studies at local public universities and overseas institutions, while RM298,400 was channelled to 446 high-achieving students under the AKP SPM 2026 Academic Incentive programme.
Khaled said Yayasan LTAT also offers the Wira Ready To Work programme to help graduates from the defence community who have yet to secure employment gain industry exposure, with participants receiving a monthly allowance of RM2,000 for one year.
He also revealed that the ministry had recently launched a STEM Education Programme in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at several schools within military camps in the northern region to nurture interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics among Form Three and Form Four students.
"In the future, we will increasingly rely on technology in defending the country. Therefore, we need people who possess strengths in these fields, and we strongly welcome children of Armed Forces personnel themselves to master these disciplines," he said.
