Latest news with #Wee
The Star
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Dr Wee: Don't ignore students with A- denied entry to matriculation
Seeking fairness: Dr Wee (left) and MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon holding up the SPM results of straight A students who were denied entry into matriculation, during a press conference in Yong Peng, Johor. YONG PENG: Heartbroken A- students who were denied entry into the matriculation programme deserve to have their plight addressed urgently, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA president said as of Saturday, the party had received complaints from 394 students who failed to secure places in the programme, most of whom had achieved straight As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. 'Out of the cases we received, 214 students scored straight As in SPM but were still denied entry into matriculation. 'This includes 211 students who had only one or two A- grades. They would typically qualify, but the Education Ministry has now changed the criteria, and A- is no longer recognised as 'cemerlang' (excellent). 'There were also three cases involving students who met the new requirement by scoring A+ and A, yet were still not offered places,' he said after opening the Ayer Hitam MCA division's annual general meeting here yesterday. Dr Wee noted that the reported cases represent only those who have reached out to MCA and the actual number of affected students was likely much higher. 'These students should not be left hanging,' he stressed. He added that the situation was made worse by the fact that the change in requirements was only made after the SPM results had been released. 'Many had already celebrated their excellent performance, only to be disappointed later. It's truly heartbreaking,' he said, adding that he had received calls from affected students thanking him for raising the issue. Dr Wee also said among those who contacted the party were students who scored 9A+. 'Last year, we raised concerns when the Prime Minister said only those with 10As would be offered a spot. 'But what about students who only took nine subjects? How are they supposed to get 10As?' he asked, noting that the government has yet to provide a response. On Friday, Dr Wee posted a video on Facebook criticising the Education Ministry's official circular issued on April 30, which no longer recognises A- as equivalent to an A. Under the new policy, confirmed by Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh, only students with 10 straight A+ and A grades would be automatically offered matriculation places for the 2025/2026 session. Dr Wee said the change marks a major shift from last year's policy, which guaranteed spots to students with 10As and above, regardless of background, following a commitment made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Star
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Full support for Onn Hafiz from Ayer Hitam division
Close ranks: Dr Wee and Ling taking a group photo with party members after the Ayer Hitam MCA division annual general meeting at a restaurant in Yong Peng, Johor. YONG PENG: Ayer Hitam MCA has unanimously expressed its full support for Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to continue leading the state. The division also passed another resolution for MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong to lead the party and be nominated again as a candidate in the next general election. Dr Wee is the incumbent Ayer Hitam MP. The delegates also want MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon, the Yong Peng state assemblyman, to defend the seat. They said Onn Hafiz has been an effective Mentri Besar, citing his strong leadership and vision for the 'Maju Johor 2030' agenda. The agenda has six key thrusts – good governance, sustainable economic development, an enhanced social safety net, improved facilities and basic amenities, security, cleanliness and the environment, and special focus on youths – to ensure its vision of becoming a developed state by 2030. During the division annual general meeting yesterday, some 200 delegates voted strongly in favour of Onn Hafiz to lead the Johor Barisan Nasional machinery in the upcoming state polls. A total of six resolutions were passed during the meeting, which was also attended by Dr Wee and Ling. Besides expressing support for all three leaders, the division urged the Education Ministry to review the new matriculation entry requirement, where those who scored A- in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia are not considered to have attained an A. The delegates also want an explanation on why lesser allocations were given to Chinese schools in last year's budget. On a localised issue, they were against the implementation of a paid parking system in Yong Peng, which they felt could lead to other issues such as illegal parking. The move could affect the livelihood of residents and businesses in the area, they added.
The Star
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Ayer Hitam MCA passes resolution to retain Dr Wee, Ling as GE16 candidates
YONG PENG: Local MCA leaders in the Ayer Hitam division of Johor have passed resolutions for current MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Yong Peng state assemblyman Ling Tian Soon to be renominated to contest the 16th General Election. These were among six resolutions that were passed during the division's annual general meeting, which was attended by MCA president Dr Wee and Ling, who is also MCA Youth chief. The other resolutions that were approved by the some 200 delegates on Sunday (June 1) were to support Dr Wee to steer the party back to its former glory amidst political instability as party president. They also want Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to continue leading the state and Johor Barisan Nasional. The division also urged the Education Ministry to review the new matriculation entry requirement, where those who scored A- in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia are not considered to have attained an A, and also explain why Chinese schools were given lower allocations in last year's budget.
The Star
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
MCA receives 214 complaints from straight-A SPM students failing to secure matriculation
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (left) and party youth chief Ling Ting Soon (right) showing the results of SPM a straight A's student consisting of A and A only but still did not get a spot in Matriculation. YONG PENG: At least 214 straight-A students have reached out to MCA after failing to secure a spot in matriculation following an abrupt change to the entry requirements. Party president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said that as of 10pm on Saturday (May 30), MCA had received matriculation-related complaints from 394 disappointed students. "Out of the cases we received, 214 of them are mostly students who scored straight As in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), but had one or two A-. "They were supposed to be eligible for the programme, but suddenly the Education Ministry changed the requirement and A- is no longer considered 'cemerlang' (excellent). 'There were also cases where the students have even fulfilled the new requirement after getting straight A's consisting of A+ and A only, but still did not get a spot in matriculation,' he said. He said this in a press conference after officiating the Ayer Hitam MCA general assembly here. Dr Wee also pointed out that these were just cases MCA has received, and the number of students facing the same plight is a lot higher. "Last year, we also raised the matriculation issue after the Prime Minister said that only those with 10As can enter the programme. "There are students who only took nine subjects. How are they supposed to get 10 As?" he said, adding that the government has yet to respond to the matter. In a video on Friday (May 30), Dr Wee said that the Education Ministry had released a circular on April 30 stating that only students with 10As comprising A+ and A in all subjects would be given an automatic offer to enrol in the matriculation programme for the 2025/2026 session. Dr Wee pointed out that this move, which was confirmed by Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh on Facebook, was a significant shift from the government's policy last year when students with 10As in SPM were allocated a place in matriculation. In June last year, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that all SPM students, regardless of background, who scored 10As and above, would be given a place in the matriculation programme.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Stop the blame game, focus on Ops Gasak enforcement issue, Dr Wee tells ministry
JOHOR BARU: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry should focus on the real issue regarding the enforcement of Ops Gasak instead of blaming the previous government, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA president said this in response to its Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who reportedly claimed that the law behind the enforcement, where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, was passed when Dr Wee was in the Cabinet. 'The core issue is not about who passed the amendments to the Control of Supplies Regulations in 2021, but how it is being enforced today. 'Yes, the amendment in 2021 was passed while I was part of the Cabinet. "However, up until 2024, there were no large-scale enforcement operations like Ops Gasak that aggressively targeted night markets, stalls, small vendors and food hawkers as it has been done since May 2025,' he said in a statement on Sunday (June 1). Dr Wee added that even the previous Pakatan Harapan government had backtracked on its plan to enforce the law after considering its consequences. 'The Pakatan Harapan 1.0 government in 2019 also attempted to enforce the use of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in restaurants and eateries, but they halted the move after realising the burden it placed on the public. 'The existence of a law does not mean enforcement must be harsh or sudden. "Many laws have existed for years, but enforcement is often carried out based on the government's discretion and necessity,' he said. Dr Wee cited the Stamp Act 1949 as an example of such a law, saying that while it has been in force for decades, widespread enforcement on employment agreement stamping only ramped up in 2025. 'Likewise, Ops Gasak, this large-scale enforcement is an administrative decision made by the Madani government in 2025, not a directive from the Cabinet when the 2021 amendment was passed,' he said. Dr Wee, who is also Ayer Hitam MP, said the enforcement burdens small traders at a time when the public is already under pressure. 'The Sales and Service Tax (SST) hike and the expansion of its scope will begin in June, electricity tariffs will increase in July, RON95 subsidies are being retargeted, and the minimum wage has increased to RM1,700. 'All these add to the operating costs of small traders, and Ops Gasak, which targets small traders using only 12kg and 14kg LPG cylinders, further worsens the pressure on the rakyat,' he said. He added that a PETRONAS directive, which quoted the Ministry many times, revealed the real impact of Ops Gasak on small traders. 'In a letter dated April 30, 2025, PETRONAS instructed all gas distributors to stop selling subsidised LPG (12kg and 14kg cylinders) to all commercial premises, including restaurants, food stalls and warung. 'This directive has directly caused confusion, anxiety and hardship to thousands of small traders who now fear enforcement action even though they have only ever used small cylinders. 'On the ground, we continue to see many videos and complaints of inspections on small traders, which contradict the narrative that only large industries are being targeted,' he said. Dr Wee added that Malaysians deserve to benefit from being among the largest gas producers in the world and that LPG subsidies are also not a major financial burden to the country. As of May 1, eateries, including hawker stalls, will be required to use the 14kg purple-coloured commercial gas cylinders priced at RM70.
