Former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has called for the reinstatement of the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR), saying the examination is crucial for assessing students after six years of primary education.
In a social media post, Lim described examinations as the “hallmark and yardstick” of academic performance, arguing that Malaysia should not abandon standardised assessments. His comments came after Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek recently hinted at the possible return of UPSR and the Form Three Assessment (PT3), both of which were abolished in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
While Lim did not explicitly mention PT3, he said UPSR should at least be reinstated before students transition to secondary school.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement of the National Education Blueprint 2026–2035, Lim stressed the need for meaningful education reforms to improve Malaysia’s performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
“We cannot afford to continue falling behind, including in comparison with Vietnam, whether in terms of PISA scores or the production and density of engineers,” he said.
Lim also cautioned against lowering education standards based on emotional arguments without support from facts, data and research.
He expressed hope that Fadhlina and Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh would carry out the necessary reforms, adding that these efforts must justify the RM66.2 billion allocation for education and help drive Malaysia towards higher educational achievement.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation on whether UPSR and PT3 will be reinstated. However, Fadhlina said an announcement on the Malaysian Education Plan (RPM) is expected today (Jan 20), which may address the issue.
