By Ketua Pembangkang and M.P. for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang
Another less of MCE examination papers highly shocking
The less of MCE Bahasa Malaysia examination papers in Kemaman in Trengganu has shocked the Malaysian people. Despite the assurances by the Education Minister after the loss of MCE examination papers from the Perak State Education Office last year that security measure are being tightened to prevent a recurrence of loss of examination papers, the Trengganu loss of the MCE papers showed that these security measures are not effective enough.
It is clear that there is a very urgent need to review the whole security system, not only in the Education Ministry, but in the entire government machinery about the security of important government papers and documents.
What has been very disappointing to the people is that no firm action seems to have been taken by the Education Ministry to go to the rest of the problem of loss of examination papers. Thus, in the loss of examination papers from the Perak State Education Office last year, only two office-boys and one lowly-paid clerk are charged in court, while no top or high efficials have been charged.
The Education Ministry must make an immediate decision, and do not put the MCE candidate in to the position of having to sit for the Bahasa Malaysia paper a second time, as happened last year.
The Education Ministry must decide either to set new examination papers, or if it should proceed with the use of the Bahasa Malaysia paper 200 sets of which had been lost in Trengganu, then it should not make the MCE candidate repeat the paper later.
Meanwhile, a full and complete shake-up of the Education Ministry is urgently needed to restore the people and the students’ confidence in the security and fairness of the MCE examinations.