Kuala lumpur: The requirement for school students across various educational streams, including those taking the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), to enroll in Bahasa Melayu and History subjects has not been finalized as a condition for admission to public institutions of higher learning (IPTA), according to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zambry clarified that this requirement would apply not only to UEC students but also to students from educational streams outside the national system, such as international schools, Arabic schools, and religious schools. He emphasized the necessity of addressing the entire education ecosystem before the government can proceed with any such requirement, highlighting that policy decisions must comprehensively cover all streams of education to ensure fairness and consistency.
Zambry stressed the importance of not focusing on the needs of a single group or community. He mentioned that the next steps would involve comprehensive consultations and engagement with stakeholders. This approach aims to ensure that admission policies for IPTA are implemented fairly and consistently across all educational streams. Further measures will be determined through coordination between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Higher Education.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that students from various educational streams, including international and religious schools, as well as the UEC stream, would be required to take Bahasa Melayu and History subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
In a related development, Zambry announced that 10 polytechnics across the nation would be upgraded to offer degree-level programs under the National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026-2035. This initiative aims to elevate the status of polytechnics from being perceived as a 'second choice' to becoming one of the main higher education pathways in the country. Currently, only three polytechnics-Ungku Omar Polytechnic, Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic, and a polytechnic in Shah Alam-offer degree programs.
Zambry also noted that the initiative would include polytechnics in Sabah and Sarawak, ensuring that opportunities for degree-level technical studies are more widely available, rather than being concentrated solely in the peninsula.