PAKATAN Harapan’s (PH) Education Committee has chided the Education Ministry for its lack of seriousness in ensuring students’ progress after it was revealed that questions issued to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2021 candidates were recycled for current examinees.

In a joint statement, the committee said that it received complaints from unhappy parents that current students might have an unfair advantage as the questions can be freely accessed.

“If prior to this, the examination board can prepare different questions for any ad hoc changes (to an SPM candidate’s exam schedule) why not the same method be used this year?” said the committee in the statement.

“Some values that need to be given attention by the examination regulators to prevent this situation from happening again, they should be prepared to provide sufficient questions of various editions as there would be a high chance of candidates sitting for their examination at a later date,” it said.

Adding further, the committee said the National Examinations Board (NEB) must provide assurance that questions used last month must remain confidential and not leaked to the repeat candidates.

“We consider that the NEB, especially the education minister, have failed to take seriously the educational process, moreover under the pandemic, which will definitely affect the fate of students in the future.”

Among SPM candidates eligible to sit for their examinations from April 1 to May 19 include those who tested positive for Covid-19 and placed under quarantine, as well as those affected by floods or other approved special cases.

They were originally scheduled to sit for the exams from February 2 to March 29.

The PH Education Committee comprises Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Tampin MP Hasan Bahrom, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, Sekijang MP Natrah Ismail, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, Tangga Batu MP Rusnah Aluai and Batu Gajah MP N. Sivakumar.

Earlier today Deputy Education Minister 1 Mah Hang Soon said his ministry will examine the report from the NEB before any action is taken following the allegations that the same set of SPM 2021 questions were used for the second session of the examination that began on Thursday.

Mah said related parties are also expected not to speculate to ensure that the matter can be properly resolved.

“I have just received the information and I think whatever (assumption) there may be, we have to wait for the report from the examination board. After that, we will have a discussion before appropriate follow-up action is taken,” he said after. – April 9, 2022.