No Malaysian should be denied the opportunity to pursue higher education because of their background, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said yesterday.
He said the government remained committed to widening access to universities so that students from all communities could pursue their studies regardless of their financial or social circumstances.
“We want to ensure access, a place of study to everyone regardless of their background, because all of them are our Malaysian children,” he said.
Zambry said he did not want talented students from underprivileged families to lose the opportunity to obtain a university education simply because they could not afford it.
“Give them the opportunity to further their studies. Whether they are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Orang Asli, Kadazan-Dusun, Iban or otherwise, they are our children,” he said, describing such students as valuable assets to the country.
He was speaking at a ceremony at the Higher Education Ministry yesterday to present undergraduate tuition sponsorship letters to outstanding students who achieved top results in the 2025 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM).
The government offered scholarships to 30 top STPM scorers, with 27 accepting the sponsorship.
Universiti Malaya received six of the scholarship recipients, who were admitted into programmes including medicine, mathematical sciences, chemical engineering, exercise science and law.
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, meanwhile, accepted four recipients for courses including Chinese language education, Malay language education and special education.
Zambry said many of the recipients pursuing teaching-related degrees had achieved a perfect CGPA of 4.0, describing this as a positive sign for the quality of teachers who would eventually educate Malaysian schoolchildren.
He also urged the new undergraduates to approach university life with enthusiasm rather than viewing their studies as a source of constant pressure.
“Don’t turn your world of learning into a world full of pressure. When there is joy in learning, you won’t feel the pressure.
“You will take on any pressure or difficulty in your studies as a good challenge that makes you even better,” he said.
Zambry also reminded the students not to overlook character and values while pursuing academic and professional success, stressing that education should ultimately help shape good human beings rather than simply provide them with a degree.
