KUCHING: Nine out of the 16 students who appealed for the matriculation course, with the support of the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), have successfully secured their placements, says Milton Foo Tiang Wee.
The SUPP Public Complaint Bureau chief addressed the media during a press conference held at his office on Thursday (July 25) regarding ongoing concerns surrounding matriculation course appeals for high-achieving SPM students.
He revealed that since his last press statement on July 7, he has been inundated with calls and messages from students and parents, not only from Sarawak but also from Sabah and West Malaysia. He noted that SUPP, a Sarawak-based party, primarily focuses on assisting Sarawakian students.
“As of today, we have successfully secured placements for nine out of 16 students who appealed, and this is also thanks to the help of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
“However, seven appeals are still pending, and I assure continued efforts to secure placements for these students are still ongoing.”
He explained that despite the government’s assurance that students with 10As or 11As would be guaranteed placement in matriculation courses, many students still struggled to get accepted and SUPP has been working to compile and submit appeals to the Deputy Prime Minister through its party president, Dr Sim.
Foo also shared a specific case of a student with 9As who, despite not getting into the matriculation course, aspired to join the Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan (PISMP) to become a special education teacher.
He highlighted the shortage of special needs educators and emphasised the importance of not disappointing ambitious and hardworking students.
Foo reiterated the importance of the government’s commitment to its promises, especially to the younger generation.
He stressed that the SUPP will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the remaining appeals are approved and that students can pursue their desired educational paths.
