So, finally the issue of BM is out in the open. Today, TheStar published several articles regarding this. Over the years, I have been constantly informing everyone who was intending to do medicine that they need to make sure that they have sat and got at least a credit in SPM BM paper. 30 years ago, this was never an issue because almost all went through the same education system. SPM BM is a mandatory requirement to be appointed into civil service. Housemanship can only be done in civil service.
In the 80s and 90s, even up to early 2000s, other than some who studied in Singapore, almost everyone completed their secondary education till SPM before leaving the country, doing PreU or entering university. Thus, almost everyone had done SPM BM. I know some friends who studied in Singapore and did not have SPM BM but were given contract civil service post. During this contract post, they are required to sit and pass SPM BM paper(usually July paper). Only after passing SPM BM paper, the post is confirmed and converted to permanent post. This new dilemma that we are in currently, started in mid 2000.
Up to 2004, International schools are only limited to foreigners/expats or to families where at least 1 parent is a foreigner. This is the same in almost all countries including Singapore. IN 2004, the then new PM Tun Abdullah Badawi announced 30% quota of international school enrolments to locals. This quota was immediately taken up and the demand increased. Just 2 years later, the government allowed 100% enrollment of international schools to locals. This caused mushrooming of International schools in Malaysia. Rich parents were sending their children to these schools in droves, to the extend some had to enrol at least 3 years earlier for a place to be confirmed. When I came to JB in 1999, there were only 2 international schools catering to Japanese and Korean expats. Now, I lost count of the number of international schools in JB, all in just 10 years!
These international schools have now created a new issue. The students do not sit for SPM or SPM BM paper. These very same students are also rich enough to enrol themselves into private medical schools. SPM BM is not a requirement to enrol into private universities. These naive students or even their parents do not understand how complex the field of medicine is.
IN 2004, our Minister of Health Dato Dr Chua Soi Lek manage to convince the government to exempt medical graduates from SPM BM requirement for permanent civil service post. They were absorbed directly into permanent civil service with a special communication BM paper being conducted by MOH itself. Once they clear this paper, they will be confirmed in service. Unfortunately, the situation has changed. At that time there were abundant number of post which were vacant. The government changed the rule to encourage Malaysian doctors to return home from overseas. However, we now have more bodies than post. Being employed in civil service is a privilege. The government is NOT obliged to provide job to everyone. Thus by end of 2014, SPA reintroduced the need for SPM BM for civil service appointment.
Early this year, I was informed by 2 parent that MOE had introduced yet another new rule. You can’t sit for SPM BM alone but need to sit for the entire SPM papers which include at least 6 subjects. Only then, a certificate will be issued. However, I could not find a circular regarding this issue. I did make some comments regarding this when some students made some queries. But now it is out in the open with the news today.
Since Housemanship is being given under contract from December 2016, technically SPM BM is NOT necessary as mentioned by MOH today. However, be informed that in order for you to be eligible for a permanent post after your contract compulsory service ends, you will need SPM BM!! So whatever it is, SPM BM is still mandatory unless you intend to open a clinic after your 4 years compulsory service. In my last post, I did mention that ONLY 50% of contract officers will be absorbed into permanent post and continued in civil service. So, if you do not have SPM BM, you might as well forget about continuing in government service. Be also informed that specialist training can only be done in government service.
Many people argue about the basis of this requirement. We must understand that we are in Malaysia. Our national language is BM. Thus, to be eligible for civil service, SPM BM is made mandatory. What they need is just a credit or at least a pass. It is the same in any other countries as well. In almost all English-speaking countries, IELTS is mandatory for even registration or work permit application. In Australia, you need a minimum of 7 in all parts of IELTS to be eligible for Medical Board registration. At least in Malaysia, you only need SPM BM for civil service appointment. Imagine if that was the case for even MMC registration!! IN some non-english speaking countries, you also need to sit and pass their national language test to even enroll into their universities.
I know some students from international schools who can’t even speak a sentence in Malay. How are they going to clerk a patient or even understand what the patient is saying? O level BM paper is way inferior to SPM BM, I was told. That’s probably the reason why JPA do not want to recognise it as equivalent anymore. To make everything equal (as what people always want) , only SPM BM is acceptable now.
I feel all this started due to poor planning. Nothing new, as far as our government policies are concerned. The class division of education system, mushrooming of medical schools and lack of post, contributed to all these mess. The mandatory need for SPM BM should have been told to ALL aspiring medical students before they even enter our private medical colleges. NO medical schools will inform you that, as they need students!
As far as I am concerned, you can’t run away from the need for SPM BM to be appointed into civil service. That will not change since they have the liberty to pick and choose now. For those who are from International schools, please sit for the exam while you are in medical school. However, asking the students to sit for minimum 6 subjects is atrocious. They should allow the student to sit for individual papers.
Medical grads told to sit for six core SPM subjects and pass BM to get cert
PETALING JAYA: Some medical graduates are frustrated that they need to “go back to school” after being told that they must have Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia-level Bahasa Malaysia to be accepted into permanent government posts.
No more exemptions would be given and some graduates said they were told to register for six core SPM subjects in order to get the BM certificate if they want the posts.
A source said about 300 graduates were affected since the change came into effect on Jan 1. They were from private institutions and waiting for housemanship placements.
Previously, O-Level BM or Bahasa Kebangsaan A (BKA) qualifications were accepted for entry into public service but from this year, those with such qualifications were rejected, according to the affected students.
But in December, he was told by a PSC officer that he did not pass the screening process to be interviewed for housemanship acceptance because he did not possess “SPM-level Bahasa Melayu or its equivalent” as per the JPA 1/2016 circular.
“The PSC officer told me that the BKA paper I took for my foundation studies was previously accepted as an alternative to SPM BM for public service, but not from January onwards,” he said.
To ease the situation, he said the PSC later relaxed the requirement for medical graduates so that they did not need SPM-level BM for contract jobs – only for permanent posts.
However, when he tried to sign up for the BM examination at the Selangor Education Department, he was told he could not get a certificate for SPM-level BM unless he took six core subjects and passed BM and History.
The other subjects he has to take besides those two are Mathematics, English, Science and Moral studies.
The graduates feel it’s like asking them to go back to secondary school.
“This sudden change is very frustrating,” he said, adding that this was in addition to waiting nine long months for housemanship placement since he submitted his application in September.
Another medical graduate who graduated in July last year said MMC and PSC had considered her qualifications complete in August but in December, a friend told her that they would not be able to get an interview with PSC because they did not have SPM BM.
“I called PSC to check and it was true. I asked why they didn’t tell me earlier and they said they did not know things would change,” said the graduate, who declined to be named.
According to an e-mail reply from the Health Ministry, the rule for having SPM BM to enter public service as housemen was relaxed from 2003 and O-Level BM was accepted but the exemption was removed from 2017, she said.
“If there are too many graduates and they want to restrict the numbers, they should plan ahead. We were not given notice,” she added.
A final-year medical student with O-Level BM studying in a private university said that after hearing how some of her seniors could not enter public service without SPM BM or its equivalent, she decided to sit for SPM-level BM.
However, her mother – who went to help her register for the examination – was told by the Selangor Education Department counter staff that her daughter had to sign up for the six core subjects because she had not taken the SPM before.
“I have a lot to learn (as) I am in my final year of medical studies,” she said.
When contacted, the PSC said it was only observing the requirement set by the Public Service Department (PSD) which, in turn, said it was only implementing the decision made by the Health Ministry.
The PSD said in an e-mail reply that from Oct 1 last year, the appointment of UD41-grade housemen had been carried out on a contract basis. This was to enable graduates who meet housemanship requirements, but did not have an SPM-level BM pass, to serve in order to get a full registration certificate as medical officers.
However, SPM BM is required if the candidates want to apply for permanent posts, the PSD said.
Health Ministry confirms it has waived SPM-level BM requirement
PETALING JAYA: The SPM-level Bahasa Malaysia requirement for medical graduates to be appointed for contract-based housemanship as well as compulsory service has been waived, the Health Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate also said that the graduates could sit for the SPM BM paper alone through special approval from the director of the syndicate.
This, however, was not what the affected graduates were told when they went to register for the paper, as some were told that they had to sit for six SPM core subjects: BM, History, Science, Maths, English and Moral studies.
The ministry said it had asked the Public Service Department (PSD) to waive the SPM-level BM pass requirement for the contract staff and in February, the PSD had agreed to the request.
One of the entry requirements for medical graduates to be appointed to public service is an SPM or equivalent pass in BM. Article 152 of the Federal Constitution and National Language Acts 1963/67 also required that Bahasa Melayu, as the national language, be used for all official purposes, the ministry said.
“Currently, Bahasa Melayu at ‘O’ or ‘A’ level or any other similar examinations are not considered equivalent to SPM by PSD.
“However, due to complaints from medical graduates regarding the changes in government policy (the appointment of new medical officers from a permanent to a contractual basis), discussions were held to resolve this issue,” the ministry said.
Pagalavan's Avatar 
I am one of those students who did not take SPM at all since I studied in Singapore previously.
I registered for SPM (6 core subjects too, cant sign up for just 1. I wrote to MOE and asked for exemption but was turned down) 2 years ago and I was only allowed to sign up for Nov papers since it was my first attempt. I paid for all 6 subjects but could only turned up for BM and Sejarah papers since the schedule clashed with the end of year med exams. Passed them and got a cert.
I think this situation will lead to a mandatory requirement that requires future grads to have 6 core SPM subjects for permanent posts, it seemed.
Embarrassing really. They should make an exam that is something like ielts for Malaysia. No need to sit for sejarah. Whitewashed version of Malaysian history.
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Hi Dr, I am a Malaysian and have finished my A level. The results I got was AABB. I came from an average family and I am really interested in studying medicine. Considering my financial abilities, I can afford to study in India so I would like to ask if you have any good university that is also recognised by the MMC? Also, does that means I can do my HO in either India or Malaysia? If I completed my HO in India, do I still need to do HO if I decided to come back to Malaysia?
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Please check with MMC website on the fulfilment of minimum requirement to do medicine. The list of recognised universities in India is also there.
Ho in India is NOT recognised in Malaysia. So, you need to do HO in Malaysia.
You wrote “We must understand that we are in Malaysia. Our national language is BM.”
I fully support 100% and I love my country warts and all.
[…] 6 days ago I wrote on the issue of SPM BM in regards to appointment into civil service. Just after the issue was […]
next time if ur not qualified or dont have the minimum intelligence to become a doctor, dont force ur rich parents to send u to watever private med school ok??now stop complaining and pay off ur half million loan will ya??