Dr Wee demands clarity on STPM student intake data

The Star

3 days ago

PETALING JAYA: MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong calls out the Higher Education Ministry for its vague response to his question regarding the trend in intake for STPM students through UPU and university open channels.
He said that the ministry's response on the number of admissions for STPM or equivalent graduates required more detailed data.
'The Ministry responded that the number of admissions for STPM or equivalent graduates for the 2018/2019 academic session was 4,530, while for the 2024/2025 academic session, it was 8,612, indicating an increase of nearly double (90.1%).
'However, the response requires further clarification with more detailed data,' he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 30).
He said that the ministry's statement on the doubling of the number of offers to STPM graduates must be clearly broken down.
He added that the response did not distinguish between qualification categories and critical study programmes.
'Why was the data not detailed according to the qualification types, as asked—namely STPM, Matriculation, and Foundation—as well as according to the programmes offered?
'The government must address public concerns and anxieties that there has been a decline in the intake of STPM students in critical programmes compared to Matriculation and Foundation students,' he said.
Dr Wee also pointed out the ministry's claim that public universities' open channels do not affect the projections of the 'mainstream channel' as a 'general reply'.
He urged for the actual number of seats allocated via the open channel for each academic session to be disclosed.
'Please also state the number of seats available through the UPU channel, as well as the total number of seats offered in critical programmes,' he said.
Dr Wee also said that the government must clarify its statement, saying no compromise in terms of admission standards.
'If there truly is no compromise, provide the evidence. Do all students admitted through the open channel have a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) that is equal to or higher than those accepted through UPU?' he added.
The Ayer Hitam MP stated that he received complaints from excellent students who were unable to gain admission through UPU, but were eventually accepted through the open channel if they were willing to pay significantly higher fees.
He said this lack of transparency in merit-based evaluation must be explained immediately.
'In reality, raising commercial channel fees to boost university revenue without transparency and fairness in student admissions is a pro-elite (pro-rich) policy.
'This is not a real solution. Instead, public universities should focus on commercialising the outcomes of their research and development (R&D), rather than taking the easy way out by increasing fees for students through the open channel,' he added.
Earlier, it was reported that Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, in a parliamentary written reply, said that the open channel model shows the growing maturity of the higher education system, noting the rapid developments in the academic world.
He also emphasised that the ministry is committed to ensuring that access to tertiary education continues to grow and benefits all Malaysians.
Dr Wee had inquired about the lack of government funding, which forces public universities to overcome their shortcomings through open channels, resulting in higher tuition fees.