Move away from a culture of mediocrity


Mediocre future? If selection at the matriculation level is not based on meritocracy, the quality of our tertiary institutions will be diluted and they will produce only mediocre graduates eventually. — Filepic

THE debate over the intake of students into matriculation colleges in the country is an annual one, just like the offer of government scholarships. I have been a keen follower of this subject for many years and there has never been a year without complaints being made about the selection process.

It is always about top scoring non-Malay students in the SPM examination not being offered places while others with lower grades walk into colleges. This is nothing new in Malaysia, actually.

The Star Christmas Special Promo: Save 35% OFF Yearly. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Columnists

Precious pearls of wisdom on bead insertion
What a foot-stomping year
In 2026, stability must become delivery
Tech war endgame
All the world’s a stage
Our 2026 resolution: Spend wisely
Betrayal and power struggle in Perlis
A year of changes – or not
Finding fault is easy, finding winning talent is difficult� �
Answers needed on Johor water

Others Also Read