A Malaysian student with a perfect cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.0 has been rejected by three local universities, only to later receive offers from Singapore’s top institutions — Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). To add to the surprise, the student was also awarded a scholarship.
The case was highlighted by Malaysian Member of Parliament Lee Chean Chung, who has been assisting six Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) graduates with perfect CGPAs in their appeals for university admission. STPM, similar to Singapore’s junior college or polytechnic routes, is an 18-month programme culminating in A-level equivalent examinations.
Lee revealed on Facebook that one of the students he was supporting, from Petaling Jaya, had initially failed to secure entry into his top three choices of local universities. His first choice was finance at Universiti Malaya, followed by accounting at the same institution, and artificial intelligence at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Instead, he was offered his fourth choice, but at the same time, he received admissions into both NTU and NUS, alongside an ASEAN scholarship. The student has since withdrawn his appeals to Malaysian universities.
Admission Disparities Spark Debate
Lee noted that his office had received 80 appeals following Malaysia’s university admissions release, with 51 coming from STPM graduates. Cases of students with stellar results being denied placements have raised eyebrows. One graduate with a CGPA of 3.92 was left without a university offer altogether, while several others with scores above 3.0 also struggled to secure admission.
This has reignited debates on the fairness and transparency of Malaysia’s admission system. Questions have been raised about whether subject combinations or quota restrictions might disadvantage top-performing students.
Similar Cases Add Pressure for Reform
Another STPM graduate, Edward Wong, shared his own frustrations on Facebook. Despite achieving a CGPA of 4.0, a 9.9 out of 10 in co-curricular activities, and a 99.90% merit score, Wong was rejected by six accounting programmes. He was eventually placed in a management course at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) — his fifth choice and far from his passion.
His story has since gained traction, with student groups and politicians calling for reforms to ensure that merit-based selection is not compromised by technicalities or restrictive policies.
For the student who found his way to Singapore, the acceptance into NTU and NUS not only represents recognition of his hard work but also underscores Singapore’s ability to attract top regional talent. Meanwhile, the debate over Malaysia’s admissions process is likely to continue as more affected students come forward.