Kuala lumpur: The Public University Campus (UA) Form Six Programme introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) this year has received an encouraging response with a total of 5,537 applications received from Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates for the first phase of intake.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh stated that the pilot programme began on June 10 at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), offering 100 and 60 places respectively. Out of the total applications, 3,519 were for the Science field and 2,018 for Social Science.

Wong revealed during a question-and-answer session at Dewan Negara that 269 students were offered places in the programme, and as of July 31, 126 students had accepted the offer, with 73 attending UKM and 53 at USM. He clarified that this initiative is not merely a rebranding of form six but is intended to cultivate students with high-level thinking skills who are prepared to tackle challenges in digital technology and the global economy.

The programme requires candidates to meet strict entry qualifications, including the basic form six requirements, securing at least 5A in SPM 2024, and achieving a Physical, Sports and Co-Curricular Activities Assessment (PAJSK) score of 80 and above. Students in the programme follow the same syllabus and Sijil Tinggi Peperiksaan Malaysia (STPM) as regular form six but benefit from exposure to the university campus learning environment.

Responding to Senator Datuk Sivaraj Chandran, Wong emphasized the importance of these stringent entry qualifications, while addressing Senator Tiew Way Keng's inquiries, he noted that the Ministry of Education is still assessing the pilot programme's effectiveness before deciding on its expansion to other public universities.

Wong also explained that students who complete the STPM at UKM and USM must apply through the University Admissions Unit (UPU) like other candidates to continue their studies, but they will be given priority if they meet the eligibility requirements. The main benefit for students in this programme is that they are recognized as part of the Public University Campus Sixth Form Education Programme, which grants them priority if eligible.