The government plans to establish a special committee to examine the proposal to place the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) and the Matriculation programme under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said the move is part of the broader planning framework under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which is scheduled to commence next year.
He said the committee would be tasked with studying the continuity and implementation process, as both programmes are currently administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
“A dedicated committee needs to be formed to carefully assess the transition process from MOE to MOHE. This will take some time, as the committee’s findings will be presented to Parliament, and any decision will likely require amendments to existing legislation,” he told reporters recently.
On Dec 7, Zambry was reported as saying that the proposed transfer of STPM and Matriculation programmes to MOHE is aimed at streamlining assessment mechanisms and aligning entry pathways into universities. The proposal is also among the major reforms outlined under the Higher Education Development Plan 2026–2035.
Previously, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had also suggested that university admission pathways through STPM and Matriculation should be placed under MOHE, instead of MOE, to ensure better coordination within the higher education ecosystem.
Commenting on concerns raised by certain quarters that the proposal could affect the interests of specific ethnic groups, Zambry said such claims were unfounded and premature.
He stressed that the matter is still at an early stage, with the committee yet to be formed, and therefore no conclusions should be drawn at this point.
“I do not see how the rights or interests of any particular community would be compromised, as no final decision has been made. While we take note of the concerns raised, it is too early to make conclusive judgments on a process that has not even begun,” he said.
-EDUCATION TVET ASIA