Dewan Rakyat News-In-Brief: Feb 24

SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT SUPPORTS HOLISTIC STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

KUALA LUMPUR -- The implementation of School-Based Assessment (PBS) for Year Four and Form Three students effectively supports holistic development covering academic performance, character and soft skills, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said.

He said Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results have shown continuous improvement, with the National Grade Point Average improving from 4.74 in 2022 to 4.60 in 2023 and 4.49 in 2024.

The percentage of candidates qualifying for certificates also rose from 91.6 per cent in 2022 to 93.5 per cent in 2023 and 94 per cent in 2024. Participation in co-curricular activities increased significantly to 99.81 per cent in the 2024/2025 session, compared with 84.45 per cent in 2023/2024.

Wong said PBS comprises Classroom Assessment (PBD), Physical, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK), Psychometric Assessment (PPsi) and Central Assessment, providing a clear picture of students’ mastery levels.

“Through this approach, teachers can assess students’ achievement of curriculum goals and plan early interventions and suitable support based on their learning needs,” he said in reply to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PH-Bandar Tun Razak) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

-- BERNAMA

WORKING GROUP SET UP TO ADDRESS PRICE ISSUES IN SABAH, SARAWAK

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has established a technical working group to develop a comprehensive action plan to stabilise prices in Sabah and Sarawak.

Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said the group, which includes industry players, will examine logistics cost efficiency, strengthen supply chains and optimise inter-regional distribution.

She said findings from a price stabilisation study conducted in Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territories showed that logistics and transportation costs are the main contributors to price differences between regions.

“This is among the interventions taken by the ministry to ensure we are responsive to the real cost-of-living situation,” she said in reply to Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau), who raised the proposal for an audit of essential goods prices in Sabah and Sarawak and efforts to combat middlemen and cartels in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Fuziah added that the ministry is also implementing essential goods distribution programmes nationwide, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.

-- BERNAMA

OVER 2,300 OBTAIN RPEL CERTIFICATION IN 2025

KUALA LUMPUR -- A total of 2,322 individuals obtained certification through the Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL), in 2025, with nearly 1,800 or 76.6 per cent of them Bumiputera.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said most recipients, 1,244 individuals, obtained the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Level 3, while others received SKM Level 2, the Malaysian Skills Diploma and the Advanced Malaysian Skills Diploma.

“The statistics clearly show that RPEL is significantly utilised by experienced workers, including micro-entrepreneurs, informal sector workers and those in the gig economy who require formal recognition of their competencies,” he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) on the number of individuals, including gig workers, who benefited from the RPEL initiative in 2025.

In reply to her original question on plans to expand RPEL as a certification pathway for Bumiputera entrepreneurs and informal industry workers, Khairul Firdaus said the initiative is being strengthened as an official certification route under the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF).

-- BERNAMA