* Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

IT was already bad enough to hear that the recent SPM examination questions were recycled.

It grew worse when the Education Ministry declined to appear before the Special Select Committee on Education to provide explanations to the allegation concerned.

The refusal also suggests a disrespect for parliament and, in turn, a disrespect for the Malaysian people who are also seeking answers.

To be sure, sections 16 and 17 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 authorises the House and any related committee to order the attendance of witnesses and to ask for documents submission.

Neither Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin nor the ministry officials showed up, said panel chairman Maszlee Malik, who was education minister in the Pakatan Harapan cabinet. 

The controversy emerged after complaints were made that the 2021 SPM Bahasa Melayu examination questions (comprehension) were reused for the second session of the examination this year.

The second special SPM session is for students who were unable to sit for the earlier examination owing to Covid-19, floods as well as those who were given special exemptions by the director of examinations.

It is disturbing that such an issue of public interest and importance was not addressed squarely by the Education Ministry before the panel as it may have serious implications on the ministry’s professionalism and integrity as well as those of the Malaysian Examinations Board.

Surely, these institutions are aware of how important it is to ensure that examination questions are well crafted and vetted, and that high standards are maintained.

Appearing before the panel would help assure the public, particularly concerned parents and students, that the ministry takes the principle of transparency and accountability seriously.

The refusal to attend the meeting may even lend credence to a suspicion that the ministry has something to hide.

The panel meeting is also to address the public’s concern that students who took the examination in the first session might have been short-changed if the examination questions in the second session were indeed an exact copy of that in the first session.

In other words, students of the second session might have an advantage of having seen the questions set for the first session, which is clearly unfair.

And if it is true that the examination questions were recycled, the ministry obviously would need to address the issue urgently so that any dereliction of duty would be dealt with accordingly.

If there was indeed a recycling of the questions, it would give a bad example to students who expect high standards of professionalism among those who were assigned to set the examination questions.

Furthermore, it may give a sad impression that those who supposedly recycled the questions lacked resourcefulness. Could they not resort to, for instance, a question bank for an alternative set of questions?  

Relying solely on the first session questions is nearly as bad as having the examination questions leaked.

To reiterate, it is crucial for the Education Ministry to clear the air.

Given that education is crucial to nation-building, it is vital that our young generation gets the kind of education they truly deserve so that they can play a useful role in the development of our country.

It is also hoped that a good education system would help guide to some extent the young away from unhealthy activities during their spare time.

What needs replication is quality education. – April 21, 2022.