THE Education Ministry will provide 1,000 matriculation spots to SPM high achievers from low-to-middle-income Chinese families, its minister Dr Maszlee Malik said.

“The addition of 1,000 special offers are given to SPM high achievers for non-Bumiputera, specially for the low income (B40) group for the 2018/2019 session.

“This is proof that the government is concerned (about matriculation), based on the Cabinet meeting’s decision on May 30, I am announcing a special offer for matriculation intakes for SPM high achievers for non-Bumiputera Chinese,” he said at a press conference at the Education Ministry in Putrajaya today.

He said the reason Indians were not part of the allocation was because the previous government had already given extra quota for the community.

“For Indians, if we see based on the previous government, they were given a higher quota.

“For this year we are giving more quota for the Chinese B40 so that they are on par with the Indians,” he said.

Former prime minister Najib Razak had announced on April 7 that there will be an additional placement of 700 seats for Indian students to take up matriculation programmes.

Maszlee said so far there has been a total of 84,891 applications for matriculation of which 20,040 are non-bumiputera applications.

“And 4,068 non bumiputera’s have been offered a spot in matriculation colleges for the 2018/2019 session,” he said.

He also said since 1999 the matriculation programme has allowed 262,957 students to further their studies at the degree level.

“This program also allocates 10% for non-bumiputera students to create a healthy competition and improve national integration and unity since 2003,” he said.

He also hinted that there will be a change in how university students enter public universities and will announce it in due time.

“I don’t think now is the right time to announce as it is too early.” – June 28, 2018.