Admissions based on merit, not money, says public varsity chiefs

PUTRAJAYA, June 23 — The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Rectors of Public Universities (JKNCR) yesterday stressed that public higher learning institutions have never engaged in the practice of selling admission slots or providing entry through the “backdoor” to any party.

In a statement today, JKNCR dismissed a politician’s claim as baseless, saying that it had indirectly cast doubt on the integrity of the student admission system and the credibility of the country’s higher education institutions.

“Admissions to public universities are always subject to academic requirements, merit, programme capacity, accreditation requirements and approval from the relevant university authorities,” the statement said.

Earlier, the media reported that a state assemblyman had claimed that public universities provide “backdoor” entry to unqualified individuals who are able to pay full fees.

JKNCR explained that public universities have increased their intake capacity for subsidised mainstream students annually, as reflected in the steady increase in offers to Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) holders and bachelor’s degree students over the past three years.

Data shows that the number of offers rose from 79,646 in the 2023/2024 academic session to 79,845 in 2024/2025 and further increased to 88,102 in 2025/2026.

“This continuous increase proves that the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is always expanding access to public higher education and not reducing it as claimed,” the statement said.

On claims that the open channel constitutes a “backdoor”, JKNCR stressed that the allegation was unfounded, saying admission to public universities is not limited to the UPUOnline platform, but also involves various structured admission initiatives based on programme regulations and requirements.

JKNCR said the initiative was implemented based on provisions under the Malaysia Education Development Plan (Higher Education), PPPM (PT) 2015-2025, Fifth Shift: Financial Sustainability.

“This initiative enables public universities to cover rising costs by offering full-fee academic programmes. As a result, they are able to offer places to students, appoint contract lecturers, improve teaching and learning facilities, and enhance other support facilities.

“The MOHE has stipulated that intake through this channel must not, in any way, reduce the number of places allocated under the established primary admission channel,” the statement said.

JKNCR also rejected claims that underprivileged groups are denied the opportunity to pursue studies at public universities, stressing that the country’s higher education access policy always gives special attention to students from low-income families.

“This commitment is reflected in substantial government funding, with tuition fees at public universities subsidised by up to 95 per cent, ensuring that financial constraints are no longer a barrier to pursuing knowledge.

“Based on official data on admissions for the 2025/2026 academic session, 79.75 per cent of the 88,102 students who accepted offers for bachelor’s degree programmes through UPUOnline are from low-income families,” according to the statement.

Regarding claims that students with low merit were accepted because they paid full fees without subsidies, JKNCR explained that financial ability is not a basis for admission to public universities, as all students must meet the minimum academic requirements set.

“Entry requirements for professional and critical programmes such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, accounting, law and education are stricter, as they are subject to professional body standards and accreditation requirements.

“The quality of these programmes is consistently maintained through regular monitoring by professional bodies and continuous review by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to ensure that the country’s higher education standards remain at the highest level,” the statement said.

JKNCR said that the MOHE, together with public university management, is always proactive in assisting underprivileged students, with 493 welfare incentives totalling more than RM115 million provided last year and this year, including early registration assistance, SULUNG aid, early admission assistance, university zakat assistance, student welfare funds, scholarships and bursaries.

In addition, the committee said the ministry has instructed all public universities to be flexible in accepting underprivileged students, allowing advance registration and deferment of registration fees where necessary. — Bernama