KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The claim by former deputy education minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong that only 19 per cent of Chinese students who scored a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0 received offers to further their studies at the public higher learning institutions (IPTAs) is not true at all.

The Education Ministry, which said this in a statement today, clarified that altogether 3,584 students received a CGPA of 4.0, with 47 per cent of them Bumiputera, 35 per cent Chinese, 10 per cent Indians and seven per cent comprising the other races.

“A total of 3,545 students received offers to enter the IPTAs. This shows that 99 per cent of those with a CGPA of 4.0 have recieved the offers and only 39 or one per cent did not.

“The failure of this one per cent to get places is due to certain factors like not fulfilling the conditions for the specific course programme, the places are already full especially for critical courses, the applicants being at the low merit level, and having stated ‘TIDAK’ (NO) if offered a course programme other than the one chosen,” it said.

In the statement, the ministry also refuted Wee’s claim that the meritocracy system that was introduced in 2002 to replace the quota system was a worse quota system that had generally resulted in a smaller intake of non-Malay students to the IPTAs.

It said the intake of students based on the meritocracy system was done in a transparent and professional manner, with 90 points given for academic and 10 per cent for co-curricular achievements, in order to produce holistic graduates.

“Based on the meritocracy principles, all candidates with the highest merit points will not be denied the opportunity to study at the IPTAs, regardless of their race, religion, background, state, standard of living and place of stay.”

The ministry said the intake of students was also done through interviews while those IPTAs with the status of research universities were given the autonomy to manage their student intake.

It therefore hoped that the 39 students with 4.0 CGPA but failed to get offers to join the IPTAs would send in their appeals immediately.

“The ministry is concerned about their plight, so they will be given priority to enrol into the IPTAs if there are vacancies, in line with the cabinet’s decision,” the statement said. – Bernama