The Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) admitted that its use of the word “abolish” in a statement on Friday had led to confusion and rubbed certain quarters the wrong way.

“We apologise over the confusion caused,” it said in a statement today. “What we meant to say is for the matriculation programme to be combined with the STPM examination, which is recognised globally.”

Umany said its calls for an integrated examination system was not racial in nature. “The proposal is to improve on the existing system to ensure it is more transparent and fair.”

In its statement on Friday, Umany had called for matriculation to be replaced by the STPM (sixth form examination) as the sole standard for university admission. The association’s president, Tang Yi Ze, had said that the STPM syllabus was better since it was more challenging and was internationally recognised.

Last night, UM defended the matriculation programme, with vice-chancellor Noor Azuan Abu Osman stating that it played a key role as a comprehensive education system providing access to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds.

Umany had on Friday submitted a memorandum to the higher education ministry on how to address concerns over admission quotas, following a controversy sparked by an STPM top scorer who failed to get a place in UM’s accountancy course.