Muhyiddin, in a Facebook post, said he was proud of the SPM candidates, who had prevailed despite facing a set of challenges which were different from those of previous years.

“Alhamdulillah, I take note that the SPM 2020 results are the best achievement in five years. All of you were subjected to a severe challenge but armed with high spirits and determination as well as support from all quarters, you managed to overcome the challenge.

“However, if the results received are not as you had expected, never give up.

“Of course, we have high hopes that all our efforts will produce good results. But if it is not as expected, this is not the end,” he said.

The prime minister also told the candidates that their life journey has just begun and that they have more knowledge and experiences to gain, and new fields to explore.

Besides congratulating students who performed well, he also thanked all parents and teachers who had worked hard in assisting the students to sit for the examination during these trying times.

Muhyiddin said the hard work of teachers and parents was evident in the implementation of the challenging home-based teaching and learning process in the new normal.

He also called on the candidates to use their SPM results as a motivation to strive for a better future for themselves.

When announcing the analysis of the SPM 2020 results earlier today, senior minister Radzi Jidin said the National Average Grade of 4.80 recorded for the examination is the country’s best in five years.