Basic Flaws With Sijil Persekutuan Malaysia (SPM)

 Basic Flaws With Sijil Persekutuan Malaysia (SPM)

M. Bakri Musa

April 5, 2026

On March 31, 2026 the results of the national Sijil Persekutuan Malaysia (SPM) were released. SPM is the Year-11 (Form Five) terminal examination secondary school students sat for last November. Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek was quick to claim credit for the slight improvement in overall performances. Meanwhile newspapers and social media were filled with congratulatory messages for those who had aced the test. Glossed over and thus not addressed are the major structural flaws with both SPM and the national school system.

       Up until the late 1970s SPM was but a middle school test, the schools’ terminal examination being the Higher School Certificate (HSC) taken at Year 13 following two years of Form Six. HSC was well regarded worldwide, on par with the British GCE “A” Level. 

       Not so with today’s SPM. For university admission, local or foreign, one would have to take additional studies like Form Six, Matrikulasi (matriculation), or Kelas Assasi (Foundation Courses). Those are often conducted by local universities, representing a colossal misuse of scarce expensive campus resources. Recently the Ministry of Higher Education formalized that by taking over those programs. 

       This de-emphasizing and consequent dismantling of Form Six began in early 1980s when the government began sending thousands of young Malays abroad right after their SPM. An exorbitantly expensive exercise that diverted scarce resources from local institutions. Besides, those sent abroad could not enter university directly, at least not the quality ones. They first had to do essentially Form Six. Besides, most ended up at mediocre universities. Today those half-baked characters are running and ruining Malaysia.

       The 1997 economic crisis briefly knocked some fiscal sense into the authorities, forcing them to curtail that profligate practice. Today that same folly is back again albeit on a lower scale but no less wasteful.

       According to PISA (Program for International Students Assessment), Malaysian secondary school students are at least two years behind their peers in advanced nations. In short, SPM is but Form III in those countries.

        Consider the fate or academic paths of these SPM candidates. The few private ones excepted, they are all from the government’s Sekolah Kebangsaan (national schools) and Sekolah Agama (religious schools). Overwhelmingly Malays with the first and exclusively so the second. Non-Malays have long ago abandoned the national stream. Now many Malays too are joining them. Chinese schools have their United Examination Certificate (UEC) at Year 12. That qualification is recognized worldwide except perversely in Malaysia. As for the privileged few in private and international schools, they opt for the International Baccalaureate or GCE “A” Level.

       Ponder the fate of these mostly-Malay SPM candidates. They sit for their examination in November and then wait till March for the results. If they have done well, they can apply for the various government’s post-Form Five programs that typically do not start until July. Meaning, they would have wasted over seven months.

       Considerable attrition of knowledge as well as good study habits occur during that long hiatus. The well-to-do (meaning mostly non-Malays) enroll immediately in January for the many excellent private programs. When they would later be accepted into the government’s Assasi or matrikulasi, they would be far ahead of their Malay peers who had been idle. This advantage would remain and be magnified when they enter university. Wonder why Malay undergraduates lag those of other races? 

        American students too have long summer breaks following their high school. However, they knew as early as March which college had accepted them for the following September. Besides, many universities assign summer reading programs for their incoming freshmen to better prepare them.

       The solution to this Malaysian (or essentially Malay) educational dilemma is as simple as it is obvious, and also far cheaper. Make K-13 the new norm. Emulate and modify the German system by streaming the last two years into academic (for the top quartile), general, and vocational. The government’s earlier January 2026 initiative (preschool for all) was the right move. 

        America has K-12. The reality for most is K-14, K-12 plus at least two years of junior college. Universities now encourage transfers into their sophomore (second) and junior (third) years from these junior colleges. 

        Aspiring to the next trajectory of development would require Malaysia to have well educated citizens. That begins with their being well educated. Formalize K-13. Leave universities to focus on undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies as well as extension and continuing education. Do not distract or burden them with high school teaching. The Ministry of Higher Education taking over Sixth Form, Matrikukulasi, and Kelas Assasi is wasteful, expensive, as well as retrogressive.

        As for the perennially pathetic and unresolved Malay problem or dilemma, the answer lies less with endless calls for unity, expanding special privileges, or for Allah to answer our prayers, but more on improving schools where most Malays attend.

        Schools are society’s future, as per ancient Chinese wisdom. However, knocking that elemental wisdom into the heads of Malay leaders remains the greatest challenge. Extending the school years (K-13) would at the very least delay the production of new Mat Rempits and Minah Karans.

Updated excerpt from my Qur’an, Hadith, And Hikayat will resume next week.