The Higher Education Ministry must provide clear, consistent and detailed explanations to the public regarding the government’s decision to allow Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) graduates to enrol in public universities, former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Saturday.
Khairy, speaking at a press conference following an event held in conjunction with Umno’s 80th anniversary organised by Ketereh Umno, said sustained communication from the ministry is essential to prevent unnecessary controversy and public misunderstanding over the policy.
He said he personally saw no issue with the decision as it stood, given the conditions already attached to it.
“As announced, I do not see any issue because UEC holders are required to sit for the full Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. This makes them eligible, though only for certain programmes, and candidates are also required to pass History and Bahasa Melayu,” he said.
“However, the ministry needs to explain this matter consistently and in detail, as previous announcements may not have fully reached the public,” he added.
Cabinet approves new university pathways
On Thursday, the Higher Education Ministry confirmed that the cabinet had approved new admission pathways to public universities for students from outside the national education system, covering those from tahfiz institutions, private schools and Chinese independent high schools.
The ministry said the decision reflects its commitment to ensuring inclusive and quality access to higher education for all qualified students, in keeping with the National Education Philosophy.
For tahfiz leavers, the identified programmes include the Diploma and Bachelor of Da’wah, Diploma and Bachelor of Al-Quran and As-Sunnah, Bachelor of Tahfiz Education, and Bachelor of Islamic Studies (Da’wah).
For SMPC and UEC leavers, available programmes include the Bachelor of Arts (Chinese Language Studies) with Honours, Bachelor of Chinese Language and Linguistics, Bachelor of Arts (Chinese Studies), and Bachelor of Chinese Language with Education.
Meritocracy to guide admissions
The ministry said all applications will be assessed based on the principle of meritocracy and academic eligibility requirements, subject to the regulations and decisions of the respective university senates.
The clarification from Khairy comes amid broader public discussion over the policy, with some quarters raising questions about the implications of extending university access to students educated outside the national school system.
His call for clearer communication underscores the importance of ensuring that the government’s position is properly understood across all segments of society.
