Applications for Tahfiz and UEC Graduates to Enter Public Universities Open on June 30
PUTRAJAYA: Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi has announced that applications for students from outside Malaysia’s national education system to enter public universities will officially open on June 30, marking a significant expansion of higher education access for tahfiz graduates and students from Chinese independent secondary schools.
Director-General of Higher Education, Azlinda Azman, said the initiative would initially involve direct admissions managed by participating universities before the intake process is fully integrated into the UPUOnline system beginning next year.
The first phase will involve eight academic programmes offered by four public universities: Universiti Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin.
According to Azlinda, programmes identified for tahfiz graduates include Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree programmes in Dakwah, Al-Quran and As-Sunnah studies, Tahfiz Education and Islamic Studies focusing on dakwah.
For graduates from Chinese independent secondary schools and holders of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), the available programmes include Chinese Language Studies, Chinese Linguistics, Chinese Studies and Chinese Language Education.
“For this year, applications will be submitted directly to the respective universities. Starting next year, admissions will be coordinated through UPUOnline,” she said during a press conference today.
Despite the expanded opportunities, Azlinda stressed that applicants from outside the national education system must still fulfil specific academic requirements, including possessing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
Applicants are required to obtain at least a credit in Bahasa Melayu and a pass in History in addition to meeting the respective university’s academic entry standards.
She emphasised that all admissions would continue to be processed based on meritocracy, academic qualifications and approval by the university senate.
“KPT wishes to stress that all admissions into public universities will be based on merit, academic eligibility and decisions made by university senates. Academic standards and quality will not be compromised,” she said.
Azlinda added that applicants would also undergo interview sessions, including assessments of language proficiency, before final admission decisions are made.
When asked whether the ministry planned to expand the initiative into other academic fields in the future, she said the ministry currently intends to focus only on the eight programmes already identified.
According to her, there are no immediate plans to broaden the initiative further as the ministry first wants to evaluate the effectiveness of the initial implementation.
“At this stage, we are focusing only on the programmes that have already been approved by the ministry,” she said.
Meanwhile, Azlinda also clarified that students from outside the national education system who are accepted into public universities would still receive government education subsidies similar to other IPTA students.
She explained that once admitted into the programmes, they would be regarded as part of the mainstream public higher education system and therefore eligible for subsidised tuition and educational support.
The move to provide pathways for tahfiz and UEC graduates into public universities has attracted widespread attention, with supporters viewing it as a step towards broader educational inclusivity while critics continue debating its implications for national education policy and academic standards.
-wilayah.com.my
