The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has reaffirmed that passes in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) subjects of Bahasa Melayu and History remain mandatory requirements for admission into public universities (IPTA).
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir clarified today that this rule applies to all students, including those from alternative educational streams such as tahfiz schools, private schools, and Chinese Independent High Schools (SMPC).
This means that students from alternative systems must sit for at least these two core SPM papers—and pass them as recognized by the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate—to qualify for a place in public higher learning institutions.
The Minister’s clarification follows a Cabinet meeting yesterday, which agreed on specific admission pathways for students from tahfiz and private secondary systems. Dr. Zambry noted that some parties had “manipulated” this decision, falsely suggesting that the government was compromising the integrity of the national education system.
