Lowering IPTA Academic requirement will disqualify Malaysia's Engineering

Proposal to evaluate the award of IPTA degrees based only on 70%
academic achievement will mean that Malaysian Universities will fail
the Washington Accord agreement standards for engineering
qualification.

http://www.washingtonaccord.org/Rules_and_Procedures.pdf
SECTION C – GUIDELINES
1. GRADUATE PROFILE EXEMPLARS

Page 37 of 56

Even hands-on training is limited to 10% of the total credit hours,
let alone extra curricular activities.

If the hands-on exceed 10%, it means that we are training
technologists, i.e. technicians, not engineers. At least that is what
the current EAC director told us, and I happen to agree with him
fully.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=465503

IPTA Admission Requirements Reviewed To Meet Job Market Demands -
Saifuddin
KUNDASANG (Sabah), Dec 31 (Bernama) -- The proposal to impose
admission requirement based on 70 per cent academic and 30 per cent co-
curriculum merit for public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) is
being considered to meet job market demands, Deputy Higher Education
Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said on Thursday.

At present, he said, the admission requirement for matriculation
students and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi
Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) holders was still based on 90 per cent
academic and 10 per cent co-curriculum merit.

"Right now, the selection of students to IPTA is done based on 90 per
cent academic and 10 per cent co-curriculum merit.

"But, once the students are accepted into the university, they will be
evaluated based on 70 per cent academic and 30 per cent co-curriculum
merit.

"When they graduate, the first thing their potential employers will
ask is about their experience and skills, not their academic results,
even for first-class degree holders.

"So, the proposed intake requirement is being considered because the
current job market demands a balance between academic results and co-
curriculum," he said after sending off Mohd Noor Mat Amin on his solo
mission to scale Mount Kinabalu, at the Kinabalu National Park near
here.

Saifuddin said some of the employers had even lamented on the quality
of fresh graduates, especially those who were inactive in co-
curriculum activities.

Hence, the deputy minister called on 152 students associations
nationwide to be proactive in organising more activities to increase
their co-curriculum merit.

-- BERNAMA