KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The Education Ministry has refuted claims that several top SPM scorers were denied places in the matriculation programme, saying all eligible 10A students had already been offered admission, according to a Facebook post by Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.

Wong said MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had recently alleged that the Madani government failed to fulfil its promise of offering Matriculation Programme places to 10A SPM high achievers, claiming he had received at least 11 cases of students allegedly left out.

He said the claim was inaccurate and unfounded, adding that he had challenged Wee to submit the students’ names to the Education Ministry for verification.

On May 4, Wong said Wee later claimed that all 11 students had secured places in the matriculation programme following MCA’s intervention.

However, Wong said Ministry of Education (KPM) records showed that all the students had already been offered places earlier under the government’s automatic placement policy for 10A SPM scorers.

He outlined a timeline, saying the ministry had announced on April 8, 2026, that all 10A students applying for matriculation would be automatically considered for admission for the 2026/2027 intake.

He said initial offers were issued on April 27 via the Matriculation portal, but some students who obtained their results after rechecking were still pending due to incomplete data at the time.

Wong added that 286 students who received updated 10A results were later notified of their offers on April 29 via SMS, with formal acceptance available from May 6.

On May 1, Wee allegedly repeated claims that the government had failed to deliver on its promise.

Wong said he again asked Wee to provide the names of the 11 students, and the ministry also requested the list through MCA president’s Facebook page.

He said the list was only provided after about 48 hours, following which ministry officials verified the cases.

According to Wong, one student had already been offered a place on April 27, while the remaining 10 had received notifications on April 29 at around 11.01am.

He said all students had therefore been offered places before Wee’s public remarks.

Wong also criticised claims that the admissions were due to MCA’s intervention, saying the intake was the result of government policy changes.

He added that credit for the admissions should go to stakeholders supporting the Madani government’s policy reforms.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) is strengthening the country’s preparedness in the face of global supply chain uncertainties by establishing a Special Task Force on Drug and Medical Device Safety as the main control centre.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the move was taken in response to the global dynamic challenges involving the raw material supply crisis, energy crisis, and the increasing surge in logistics costs worldwide following the tensions in West Asia.

He said the team was currently implementing real-time data monitoring in addition to diversifying sources of drug procurement from the international market to ensure the country’s supply remained stable.

“At the same time, we always ensure that the frontline stock buffer for medicines categorised as critical is always strong and can last more than 60 days to protect patients,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Dzulkefly said the matter was among those discussed in the briefing session for Friends of Ministry (FoM) which he chaired this morning to coordinate actions with Members of Parliament in championing health issues at the grassroots level.

In the meeting, he stressed the Madani Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that the country’s supply chain of medicines and medical devices remains secure.

To proactively manage the crisis of continuity of medicine supplies, he said the MOH has activated an early warning mechanism where suppliers are required to report any potential shortage of supply at least six months in advance by July 2026.

“For the supply of medical devices, the Medical Devices Authority (MDA) has entered into a strategic agreement with the authorities in China to stabilise the supply of critical manufacturing raw materials such as resin and naphtha, thus enabling our local manufacturers to operate without interruption.

“A Special Access Pathway has also been provided to expedite the entry of urgent medical equipment to ensure smooth operations in operating theatres and hospitals,” he said.

Therefore, Zulkefly also said the MOH would continue to strengthen the resilience of the health system through a whole-of-government approach to ensure that patients are not affected by any global shocks.

“This is to ensure that each strategic plan is translated into swift and organised action on the ground, so that every patient continues to be protected and not affected by any future global shocks,” he added. — Bernama 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — The Bumiputera empowerment agenda has been pursued more assertively, firmly and boldly under the Madani Government over the past three years, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the approach demonstrates that the government does not subscribe to elitism at the expense of Bumiputera interests, as alleged by certain quarters.

He pointed to the government’s decision to grant automatic matriculation placement to students who obtain 10As regardless of race, while at the same time maintaining the existing quota for Bumiputera students.

“At the same time, 90 per cent of Bumiputera students continue to be given opportunities through the matriculation programme, reflecting the government’s inclusive approach.

“Therefore, in any debate, do not focus on one aspect alone without considering the policy in its entirety, and avoid creating the perception of a zero-sum game,” Anwar said when officiating Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (Mara) 60th anniversary celebration at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur here today. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on employers to be more considerate and compassionate in ensuring the welfare of workers continues to be protected.

He said peace and rapid national development must be matched by guarantees of well-being for all segments of society, including workers.

“This country must be peaceful and continue to develop and progress, but at the same time, we must ensure that workers’ welfare is protected. That is the priority,” he said at the national-level 2026 Workers’ Day celebration here today.

The Prime Minister said the country’s current economic performance is commendable, including strong growth, record-high investments, low unemployment, and a robust ringgit performance in Asia.

However, he raised the question of whether workers, particularly those in the lower and middle-income groups, are receiving fair benefits from these developments.

“We can list major companies in our country which record profits of RM1 billion or RM2 billion, yet still find it difficult to approve even a RM40 salary increase to workers. We want workers to be disciplined and highly productive, that is the responsibility of workers at all levels.

“We want this country to be clean, and so refuse collectors and cleaners make sacrifices. Can we take a moment to reflect, search our conscience, and ask whether these people are receiving the attention and fairness they deserve?” he said.

He therefore urged all corporate leaders to reflect and reassess the treatment of their employees.

“I am not suggesting that rewards be given to the extent that companies incur losses, I have never proposed that, nor am I suggesting that we lose competitiveness. I am only suggesting that national and corporate leaders be more attentive and show greater compassion,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the Workers’ Day celebration, Anwar said it serves as a platform for all parties to reflect on the importance of recognising workers and strengthening efforts to improve their welfare.

“Workers’ Day must remind us that without the people, farmers and fishermen, there would be no ministers. Without lower-level workers, there would be no companies to celebrate success,” he said.

He stressed that the Madani Government will place special emphasis on the issue of workers’ wages as a key policy priority.

Anwar said this effort will continue, even though the government has previously increased the minimum wage from RM1,200 to RM1,500, and raised the minimum wage for government-linked companies (GLCs) to RM3,000.

The national-level Workers’ Day celebration was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and other Cabinet members.

Also present were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, senior government officials, as well as representatives of workers’ unions and employers. — Bernama