My STPM Incident: Unresolved Questions and What Would You Do?
I encourage you to read this and would be glad to hear “what would you do?” or “how would you interpret this situation?”
STPM is considered one of the toughest pre-university examinations in the world for high school graduation.
1) Issue
At Kajang High School (KHS) in 2002, the highest result achieved was 2A and 2B only (at that time, there were no A+, A-, etc., only single grades such as A, B, C, etc.). In relative terms, this was the highest result in the school. Three of us achieved this result (including me).
However, as you can see in the image, I was ranked “No. 3” overall despite being the top student in two individual STPM subjects: Pengajian Am (General Paper) and Mathematics T. Among those ranked above me, only one student was the best in Chemistry.
2) Why this is important
Each year, only one name is engraved on the school wall as the STPM best student. My name was not selected, while another student’s name was. I am fine if this decision was based purely on merit, but I still cannot understand how that student was chosen at the time, especially since I also represented the country in the IMO 2002 during that period.
Even when co-curricular activities are considered, the other student did not appear to have comparable achievements that year.
3) Bonus
As a bonus, during this period I also served my school and country well by achieving a distinction in the Australian National Chemistry Quiz 2001, apart from the results mentioned earlier. This means I was not a gangster, troublemaker, or someone who brought shame or disgrace through my actions, whether to my race, religion, or country at that time.
Notes:
i. IMO = International Mathematical Olympiad
ii. OMK = Olimpiad Matematik Kebangsaan (Malaysian National Math Olympiad)
I mentioned before that although I also scored full marks in the highest individual level, called the “Sulong” category at OMK 2002, I was awarded “2nd Place” (individual) because there cannot be two first places, and the other person’s solution was considered better written.
4) Follow-up
I wrote to the Ministry of Education regarding this matter, but to this day, no resolution has been given.
[Ruj. Kami : KPM.100-6/1/32 (MOE.085767), Tarikh : 28/11/2024]; in an email to titled “(MOE.085767 : REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT FOR BEST STUDENT IN KHS STPM 2002 ON SCHOOL WALL)”; emails: [email protected], [email protected]]
Note: They may still be investigating, but they have not given me any formal answer yet.
Conclusion
I am open to any explanation that could help me understand this past situation, even though it is now 2026.
Would you agree with these decisions if this happened to your child as a parent? Would it be acceptable within your religious conscience to remain silent about it? Or perhaps parents, teachers, and religious leaders can help me understand where I may be mistaken in my interpretation, even if this is an isolated incident.
Does anyone else have a similar experience to share, along with supporting evidence?
Not every tuition teacher has won a mathematics olympiad, and not all of them even achieved an “A” in STPM Mathematics or received a best student award in their school for the subject.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV):
“I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.”
Regardless of the outcome, God will reward every good deed endured—whether it is a job we did not receive despite deserving it, or tuition opportunities we should have been given based on merit but were not. Such is life.
Matthew 5:10–11 (NKJV):
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
Thank you
