PADANG TERAP: The Education Ministry has lauded the Cabinet's decision that SPM-level pass for Bahasa Melayu will remain a requirement for those wanting to join the civil service.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the decision was in accordance with the country's education policy in upholding BM as the national language.
He said those who did not pass the BM paper or did not sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) were encouraged to do so by taking the paper as a single subject before applying for any government job.
"I think the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has given a full explanation on this issue based on the Cabinet decision.
"We agree with the Cabinet's stand on this issue because BM is one of two compulsory subjects that candidates must pass in SPM to ensure they get a certificate," he said when met at his Aidilfitri open house in Padang Kerasak here today.
Yesterday, Zahid announced that the cabinet has decided that there will be no waiving of the SPM's BM pass requirement for any job in the civil service.
In line with the decision, the waiver of the BM pass requirement in the hiring of contract medical officers (Grade UD41), has been revoked.
Zahid added that the new current contract medical officer appointees without the SPM's BM subject requirement would be able to sit for the examination as a single paper beginning this November.