Commenting on a recent report, C Sivaraj said the current policy risked sidelining high-achieving non-Bumiputera Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students.

“The automatic rejection of A- seems to negate the value of the hard work of high-achieving students,” he said in a statement.

Sivaraj also urged the government not to “punish” students with rigid criteria that overlook structural inequalities in the education system.

Under the current policy, only students who score a minimum of 10A+’s or A’s are eligible for automatic admission to the matriculation programme. This excludes those who achieve 10As with even one A-, or those with 9As, from being considered “excellent”.

Sivaraj criticised the criteria, saying many high-performing students, particularly from non-Bumiputera backgrounds and regular day schools, often take only nine subjects due to resource and structural limitations.

“It is not because the students are weak, but because of the school structure, the learning environment and a focus on quality over quantity.

“If we truly want to recognise student excellence, we must offer fair and comprehensive consideration, not just meet a statistical target,” he said.

Sivaraj also warned that the current policy risked undermining the government’s stated goal of developing a high-quality generation of students.

Last week, a Universiti Malaya student group criticised what it called a “policy flip-flop” on matriculation admissions.

University of Malaya Association of New Youth president Lim Jing Jet questioned the circular issued by the education ministry on April 30, stating that A- would no longer be recognised as a Grade A.

It said Grade A would refer only to As and A+s, including four subjects graded with merit.

On June 30 last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that all students who score 10As and above in the SPM examination, regardless of race or background, would be guaranteed a place in matriculation colleges beginning with the 2025 intake.