By Fernando Fong
Copyright therakyatpost
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Universiti Malaya’s accounting program has come under scrutiny after data revealed a significant decline in student intake through the standard Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) pathway, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in the admission process.
The issue came to light following the high-profile Edward Wong case that led to widespread debate about university admission practices.
Eight years ago, before the introduction of the Saluran Terbuka Universiti (SATU), UM’s accounting program admitted approximately 150 students through the regular UPU system.
Today, that figure has decreased to just 85 students, despite strong demand for the program.
The accounting program received 2,291 qualified applications this year, with 1,127 candidates achieving perfect academic scores; yet, only 85 students were ultimately admitted through UPU, meaning even students with perfect grades faced just a 3.7% chance of admission.
MCA Youth Seeks Clarification
MCA Youth, led by its Education Consultative Committee Chairman, Ong Chee Siang, is demanding answers from Universiti Malaya about why it cut regular admissions for accounting from 150 to just 85 students while expanding alternative pathways like SATU.
They want to know how these 85 spots are divided between STPM students and SATU admissions, especially since SATU was initially intended to be limited to only 10 students per program when it began in 2018.
The controversy began with Edward Wong’s case – a student with excellent grades who didn’t meet the admission criteria.
Still, MCA Youth argues that this highlights a broader issue with the system being unfair and opaque.
They’re worried that hardworking students with good results are being disadvantaged by those who are aware of notable admission routes, which is unfair to any Malaysian family, regardless of their race.
MCA Youth fears Malaysia’s brightest students will study overseas if the system becomes too complicated or unfair, since it seems like good grades don’t guarantee university admission anymore.
Edward Wong’s situation is different as he is rejected solely on academic grounds and merit which is fair. The real problem is he is not thankful of been offered to USM and instead want his 1st choice in UM. I have been offered 4th choice in UPU and now doing well.Thread (3/4)— bingbingE656/Elijah 🇲🇾🍉 (@bingbinge656) September 10, 2025
UM Graduates 150+ But Only Admits 85: MCA President Questions Why
At the same time, MCA president Datuk Ser Dr Wee Ka Siong is using UM’s official graduation data (2011-2024) to expose a significant discrepancy in their accounting program admissions.
He’s pointing out that while UM consistently graduates 150+ accounting students annually, proving they have the capacity, they’ve reduced UPU merit-based admissions from 150 to just 85 students.
This data-driven evidence suggests the admission reduction isn’t due to capacity constraints but deliberate policy decisions that may unfairly disadvantage academically qualified students.
He’s calling for an official investigation to demand transparency in how UM allocates admission quotas between UPU and alternative pathways.
Essentially, he’s arguing that if UM can graduate 150+ students, they should be admitting at least that many through merit-based channels rather than restricting opportunities for high-achieving students.
His key argument: “As long as they can pay RM83,800” – referring to how students like Wong can bypass the ultra-competitive merit system by paying premium fees through alternative pathways, despite having perfect academic credentials that should guarantee admission through merit-based channels.
READ MORE: STPM Student With 99.90% Score Still Falls Short Of 100% Achievers
READ MORE: The STPM Wars: When Perfect Grades Mean Nothing In Malaysia’s University Lottery
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