STUDENTS at Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary School (YSISS) have the option to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), ensuring they remain eligible for entry into local public universities despite following the Cambridge curriculum.
Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the move addresses public misconceptions that the A-Level-based system limits students’ pathways to higher education in Malaysia.
He said Bahasa Melayu and History have been made compulsory to ensure students meet key entry requirements, particularly for government-linked opportunities.
“We are giving them the opportunity to sit for SPM so they can qualify for entry into local universities.
“We know that in Malaysia, without a credit in Bahasa Melayu, they are not eligible for employment in the government sector,” he told a press conference after his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today (May 18).
Sagah also expressed hope that YSISS students would pursue further studies abroad, particularly in emerging technologies and new fields.
“We hope they can go overseas to study new technologies and better fields,” he added.
On possible clashes between International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and SPM examination schedules for the first cohort of YSISS students, he said his ministry is looking into the matter.
“We are working on it,” he said.
His remarks followed discussions on social media suggesting that students in Cambridge-based programmes, such as YSISS, may face limitations in accessing local public universities.
Some also claimed the pathway mainly favours those pursuing studies abroad.
However, students at YSISS are not limited to a narrow subject load and continue to take a range of core and elective subjects.
These include national subjects such as Bahasa Melayu and History, alongside the option to sit for both IGCSE and SPM.
This allows them to pursue multiple pathways, including entry into local public universities or further studies overseas, depending on their results and academic direction.
