Public Universities Should Align Admission Policies With Upuonline System - Mustapha Sakmud

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Public universities (UA) should adopt the same approach as the UPUOnline system in managing student admissions through alternative channels or direct university intake, said Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

He said control over applications outside the main system at each university is important to ensure the process is more organised, balanced, and based on eligibility.

"For the main channel (UPUOnline), we can control it… but university admissions through other channels need to have a clear policy to ensure that universities have a consistent approach in managing student intake and applications based on merit," he said while winding up the debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2026 at the committee stage for the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Mustapha also revealed that most complaints about university admissions arise from applicants who do not refer to the guidelines when filling out the UPUOnline application, leading to inaccuracies in selecting programmes and institutions, with many applicants focusing solely on one university.

He added that recurring problems each year are caused by students, parents, teachers, and schools failing to guide applicants in understanding the UPUOnline application guidelines. As a result, applicants often enter up to 12 programme choices without evaluating their suitability or merit requirements.

On research and development (R&D), Mustapha said that more than 200 R&D products have been successfully commercialised, and 286 knowledge-based technologies have been developed between 2022 and 2024, generating total revenue of RM43 million.

He said the achievement, involving 20 public universities, shows the high potential for university innovations to be translated into impactful industry products and technologies.

The ministry has also provided start-up funds to university spin-off companies through the National Spin-off Companies Fund to encourage the commercialisation of research outcomes.

Mustapha added that priority is given to research with high technology readiness levels and clear market prospects. Strategic university-industry collaborations have been strengthened to ensure that research aligns with industry needs and can be commercialised more quickly.

The Dewan Rakyat then approved the allocation for management and development expenditure of RM18,598,006,200 for MOHE in Budget 2026, by a majority voice vote after 23 MPs debated the matter.

The sitting will continue on Monday.

-- BERNAMA