Students with STAM can now apply at 20 public varsities

Wednesday September 16, 2009


PUTRAJAYA: Students with Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) qualifications can now apply for entry into all 20 public universities.
Previously, they were limited to 11 public universities.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Public Services Department (PSD) now recognised STAM as an equivalent to the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM).
“This is good news as previously the students faced some problems,” he told reporters after a meeting with Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin on the future of Islamic Studies at his office here yesterday.
Also present were Minister in the PM’s Department Senator Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom and officials from the Islamic Religious Development Department (Jakim).
Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom had said in March that the examination, which was in Arabic, would measure students’ achievements in the language and Usuludin and Syariah studies for entry into undergraduate degrees at Al-Azhar University in Egypt, other Middle East and local universities.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said a special committee with representatives from several agencies would be set up to streamline Islamic Studies and review several areas, including its curriculum, teachers and their qualifications.
“Islamic Studies in schools is currently under the Education Ministry, which offers Jawi, Quran, Arabic and Fardhu Ain classes to primary school pupils,” he said, adding that Jakim was in charge of Kelas Agama and Fardhu Ain (KAFA) lessons.
He said JQAF was introduced in 2003 to Muslim pupils from Years One to Five, adding that the ministry was studying whether it should be extended to secondary schools.
Muhyiddin said there was a need to continually upgrade Islamic Studies.
He said the committee would also look into offering lifelong learning in Islam to adults, who might not have had the opportunity to study it formally or want to increase their knowledge.