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Malaysian prison students can use sports scores for university entry
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Malaysian prison students can use sports scores for university entry

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Prison students in Malaysia can now use their sports and co-curricular activity scores for university admission.
  • The Ministry of Education will consider these scores, potentially worth up to 10% of admission merit, starting with the 2026 SPM candidates.
  • This initiative aims to provide broader opportunities for inmates to pursue higher education.

Students in Malaysian prisons will soon have a clearer pathway to higher education, as their scores from the Physical Activity, Sports, and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK) can now be used as merit for university admission. This significant development was announced by the Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek.

The move takes into account the students' involvement in co-curricular activities, including sports they participated in while in prison institutions.

— Fadhlina SidekMinister of Education, explaining the rationale behind using PAJSK scores for university admission.

Sidek explained that these PAJSK marks, reflecting participation in co-curricular activities and sports during their time in correctional facilities, could contribute up to 10% of the overall merit for university entry. The Ministry of Education is working to implement this policy within the current year, ensuring that candidates applying for university through the University Intake Unit (UPU) with the 2026 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination will benefit.

Achievements like representing the state in Malaysia Games (Sukma) for boxing and Muay Thai, and winning gold medals, show that students have great potential to succeed if given the opportunity and support.

— Fadhlina SidekMinister of Education, highlighting the capabilities of incarcerated students.

This recognition acknowledges the capabilities and potential of incarcerated students. Examples cited include inmates who have represented their states in sports like boxing and Muay Thai at the Malaysia Games (Sukma), even winning gold medals. Such achievements demonstrate their capacity for success when provided with adequate opportunities and support.

The recognition of PAJSK opens up wider avenues for using co-curricular achievements as part of the merit for pursuing higher education.

— Datuk Zainal AbasDeputy Director-General of Education, commenting on the expanded opportunities.

Datuk Zainal Abas, Deputy Director-General of Education (School Operations Sector), added that the PAJSK recognition broadens the scope for using co-curricular achievements in higher education applications. The ministry is also exploring access to the Malaysia Digital Education Learning Platform (DELIMa) for teachers in integrity schools and Henry Gurney Schools nationwide. This digital learning access aims to ensure that students in these institutions receive educational materials, including textbooks, comparable to those available to students outside the prison system. The initiative is further bolstered by the 100% SPM pass rate achieved by integrity schools and Henry Gurney Schools.

The ministry is also looking into providing controlled DELIMa access to students so they can follow online and digital learning while in institutions.

— Datuk Zainal AbasDeputy Director-General of Education, discussing digital learning initiatives for inmates.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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