THE Education Ministry has terminated its matriculation programme for the 2019/2020 session to curb the spread of Covid-19.

This follows the cancellation of the second semester examinations, the results of which would have determined the students’ admission into public institutions of higher learning for the 2020/2021 session.

“The ministry has decided that assessment results will serve in place of the results of the Semester II examinations ,” the Education Ministry said in a statement today.

“Thus the final decision on admission into the 2019/2020 matriculation session will be based on a combination of the student’s Semester I results and Semester II assessment results.”

The move in line with the March 24 decision of the Council of Deans/Associate Directors for Public Universities, it said.

The Malaysian Insight understands that the decision affects 20,184 students in 15 matriculation centres across Malaysia.

Meanwhile, students on campus are advised to keep to their dormitories.

“The ministry will continue to closely monitor the students’ situation and take follow-up measures to ensure their safety and welfare,” it said.

It is learnt that that several matriculation centres had closed and that the students were to have returned home after the March 16 announcement that a movement control order was to come into effect on March 18.

The second semester matriculation examinations were to have commenced March 30 but were twice postponed first to April 9 and then to April 27.

The examinations are now set to take place some time between April 27 and May 4.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday announced that the MCO would be extended for two more weeks, until April 28,  as the battle to contain the Covid-19 outbreak continues.

As of noon, Malaysia has registered 4,530 cases of infection and 73 deaths from the virus. – April 11, 2020.