Move to help average Malaysian Indian students lauded

Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) President G. Palanivel has lauded the Malaysian government's move to help average Malaysian Indian students by giving them spots in pre-diploma courses.

He said that this would help reduce social problems as students with seven, eight or nine As can get into tertiary institutions but those with three As cannot, the New Straits Times reported Monday.

His comments came after Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak announced in February this year that 1,600 seats in pre-diploma courses would be reserved for students of Indian origin who do not fare well in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination.

Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination is a national examination that all fifth-year secondary students in Malaysia have to appear in.

"So (this results in) some of them being trapped in social problems," Palanivel was quoted as saying after a function in Shah Alam, the capital of the Malaysian state of Selangor.

"These students will study for six months in a pre-diploma course before moving on to diploma courses," Palanivel said.

According to him, allowing these average students to enroll in pre-diploma courses in various polytechnics would improve their level of education and enable them to continue with diploma courses and later, degree programmes.