"This is not about coercion," he said, responding to questions after officiating the Jom Masuk Universiti Carnival 2026 here. Zambry said the government was instead focused on widening access to higher education while recognising Malaysia's diverse schooling systems, including international, religious and Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) streams. He added that discussions are ongoing between the Higher Education Ministry (MoHE), the Education Ministry (MoE) and regulators such as the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to ensure that school-leaving qualifications are aligned with university admission requirements. Zambry echoed that stance, saying the government's guiding principle remains expanding opportunities rather than restricting students' prospects. "What we want is to ensure every Malaysian has access to higher education, and that any policy is implemented carefully and fairly," he said.

Source: New Strait Times January 31, 2026 13:52 UTC