High-performing ethnic Indians rejected from govt matriculation: MP cries foul

KUALA LUMPUR – High-performing secondary school leavers of Indian descent continue to face double standards within the Malaysian education system as over 200 students were not given a placement in the government’s matriculation programme, said Klang MP Charles Santiago.

He said many of these students were rejected from the programme outright or were asked to appeal, despite many of them scoring between 9 and 11 As in the SPM examination.

Despite non-Bumiputera students being given a quota of 10% for entry into the programme, Charles stressed that there is a need for clear placement criteria to ensure fair access to education.

“My question is: what is the policy towards Indian and even Chinese students? How come high-performing students were not given a chance in matriculation?” he asked, stressing that their rejection was not justified as they have surpassed the academic criteria.

The Malaysian Matriculation Programme is a one or 2-year cost-effective pre-university education that paves the way for students to pursue higher studies, especially in public universities.

Matriculation students reportedly would pay only RM500 for registration, while the bulk of the cost is borne by the government.

Upon graduating, students would also have opportunities to pursue studies in various foreign universities, including those in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Charles stressed that education remains the catalyst for the Indian community to uplift themselves and the need for the government to provide better access to this key component

“The Indian community is largely poor and needs a leg up and support.

“So if you want to change the character of the community then you really have to support children to have access to education,” he said.

Charles also said that he had sent a letter to Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin to get clarification on the matter.

Recently, a non-governmental organisation named Malaysian Velan Padai (MVP), also voiced similar concerns of double standards against ethnic Indian students who were rejected from the matriculation programme.

MVP chairman Surendran Balaraman stressed on the need for information on the reasons behind the students being rejected. He called for clear-cut guidelines from the ministry on the mechanisms involved in the processing of applications. – The Vibes, July 30, 2022