Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has reaffirmed that admissions to public universities are based on established criteria and merit in accordance with the national education system and are not influenced by political considerations or backdoor channels. Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim emphasized that there are no special pathways or relaxed entry requirements for admission to public universities, including for holders of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Adam Adli stated that the government has never declared that UEC holders would be granted automatic admission to public universities solely on the basis of that qualification. He clarified that the acceptance of UEC holders must align with the existing national education system and not any external framework. "University admission has never been dictated by political sentiments or personal preferences. There are specific criteria and merit eligibility that must be adhered to, particularly those grounded in our education system," he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) regarding the admission of UEC holders into public universities. Meanwhile, Adam Adli reported that 873,765 Malaysians have graduated from higher education institutions, including public universities, polytechnics, community colleges, and private higher education institutions, over the past three years.
He highlighted that, based on official data from the Graduate Tracer Study (SKPG), graduate placement trends have shown positive growth, particularly in high-skilled employment. "The graduate employment rate continues to demonstrate positive development, rising from 90.9 per cent in 2023 to 92.5 per cent in 2024. We are also seeing an upward trajectory in terms of job quality," he noted. Furthermore, the percentage of first-degree graduates earning between RM3,001 and RM4,000 increased from 22.7 per cent in 2024 to 23.8 per cent in 2025, and the percentage of diploma holders and above employed in skilled professions increased to 72.1 per cent in 2025, compared to 68.3 per cent in 2023.