KUALA LUMPUR: The remaining 712 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders who scored 10As or above and have not yet been placed in any matriculation programme will receive their offers by the third week of next month at the latest.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the government is committed to ensuring that all students are provided with opportunities to further their studies.
"Why are the offers only by the third week of August? Because the Central University Admission Unit (UPU) results will be out on Aug 6.
"We allow them to choose between UPU or matriculation. They will receive two offers; UPU, if they applied, and matriculation," she said during a special chamber in Parliament today.
Fadhlina said a total of 4,877 students with 10As and above applied for matriculation, with 2,610 were Bumiputera and 2,267 non-Bumiputera.
"For the first intake, 3,684 students were offered places in matriculation, comprising 2,496 Bumiputera and 1,188 non-Bumiputera," she said.
The successful candidates for the first intake were announced on June 20, and students registered at 15 matriculation colleges and 2 MARA colleges from June 30 to July 2.
Regarding the second intake, Fadhlina said a total of 400 students were offered places, with 33 being Bumiputera and 367 non-Bumiputera.
"The announcement for the second intake was made on July 5, and registration for these students began today until tomorrow."
Fadhlina said the remaining students would be offered places in stages to ensure all 10As and above holders are accommodated places in matriculation, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 30.
Anwar in his speech at the closing of the National Training Week announced that all students who obtained 10As and above in SPM will be guaranteed a place in any matriculation programme regardless of race or locality.
The matriculation programme, established in 1998, is a preparatory programme for Bumiputera students to qualify them for undergraduate studies in science, technology and professional arts at local and international institutions of higher learning.
Starting in 2005, the selection process for the programme is done through a race-based quota system, where 90 per cent are reserved for Bumiputera students and 10 per cent for non-Bumiputera students.