How low can it go? How viable is it to allow ‘tahfiz’ pupils to enter universities sans SPM?

How low can it go? How viable is it to allow ‘tahfiz’ pupils to enter universities sans SPM?






“TO pull the wool over one’s eyes.”


That seems to be the overriding sentiment on social media as following the revelation by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that opportunities for tahfiz (religious school) students to enter university are opened through the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM).


Editor’s Note: The clip first appeared on Sept 14, 2024


This goes to say that university pathways would be opened to students without the need to pass the SPM examination.

Whether the Education Ministry is aware of the plan remains to be seen but the clip by Malay-language news portal MalaysianGazette has generated intense interest after human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim posted it on her Facebook (FB) page with a sarcastic reaction:

“MALAYSIA BOLEHHHH!!!! Insyallah … Malaysia is going down in the dumpster!!! Takbiiiirrrr … [sic] … ,” she quipped in her FB post.


Some scathing in their comments, reckoning that the plan was to keep voters simple-minded, thus allowing for further manipulation.



The sense of disbelief is reflected in many comments. The pertinent issue of global competitiveness was highlighted.



The crux of the issue was succinctly highlighted by one comment reflecting the sense of unfairness.



One netizen was unable to imagine the quality of graduates produced by those institutes of higher learning.



It was also argued that market realities will dictate the scenario, weeding out those who cannot compete in the real world.

As one commenter put it, the many unemployed graduates and those working in unrelated fields are proof that such schemes were lacking in foresight.



One claimed that this was the UMNO politician’s ploy at building a vote bank. He predicted that in the end taxpayers are expected to foot the bill with these “unemployable graduates” being unable to pay back their PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) loans.



The burden on the taxpayer was echoed by another netizen who cheekily suggested for these tahfiz pupils to bypass the undergraduate phase or “be elevated straight to do their master’s degree”.



It was also suggested that perhaps all examinations should be abolished. Nothing changes was the lament as such hare-brained schemes keep popping up no matter who is in power at Putrajaya.



Quoting the late Nelson Mandela (former South African president), one netizen lamented that the collapse of education is how nations are destroyed and sadly Malaysia is walking in that direction.



Some pointed out that this is how politicians keep mining contentious issues to keep themselves in power. Much like a business, only politics is the most profitable one.



It remains to be seen whether the Madani government will push forward with this plan or will back track on it saying Zahid’s statement was taken out of context.

In most likelihood, the usual “still at planning stage” excuse will be trotted out. After all, it has done the job of creating headlines, thus allowing Zahid who is also the UMNO president to gain political mileage within a certain demographic. – March 14, 2025