By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 1: In the midst of criticising the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) also forgot that it is part of a coalition that forms part of the federal government.
In a statement, Sarawak DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) treasurer, Wong King Yii, said that when it comes to federal government posts held by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, there have one deputy prime minister, five full ministers, and six deputy ministers—in which SUPP’s Dato’ Sri Huang Tiong Sii holds the post of Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability.
“If they truly believed there was something wrong with the policy, why didn’t they raise it where it matters most—inside the Cabinet room?” he questioned.
Wong’s statement was in response to Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap, who questioned DAP for its inaction over the matriculation ‘fiasco’ despite one of its members, Wong Kah Woh, holding the role of Deputy Minister of Education.
“The matriculation system SUPP now criticises wasn’t created by DAP—it was a legacy of Barisan Nasional (BN), a government in which both SUPP and MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) were active players.
“For decades, despite being in power, they failed to secure a guarantee that high-performing 10A students would be given matriculation placements,” said Wong.
He added that when DAP joined the government, within three years, two full cohorts of 10A students were successfully placed into the matriculation programme.
“We’re not done yet—reforms are still ongoing to build a fairer, merit-based system for the next generation.
“As for the latest issue? It was resolved swiftly through the proper government channels, ensuring affected students got a fair outcome. That’s what responsible governance looks like—not lobbing criticisms after the matter is already settled.
“The Madani Government isn’t perfect, but we’re serious about listening, improving, and reforming,” he said.
According to The Star, a circular issued on April 30 stipulated that only those with 10 straight As, comprising only ‘A+’ and ‘A’ grades, qualify for the 2025/2026 matriculation intake.
Then, on June 25, the MOE stated that the Cabinet had agreed to offer a place to all students with 10As and above, including those with ‘A-’, if they applied for the matriculation programme. — DayakDaily
