Pupils have to resit UPSR Maths, Tamil papers on October 9

There is more bad news for UPSR pupils who are required to resit their Mathematics papers on October 9. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 22, 2014.

UPSR candidates are now required to resit their Mathematics papers and Tamil language papers on October 9, after both papers were found to have been leaked, the Education Ministry said today.

Director-general of Education Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said pupils in national and vernacular schools would have to resit the Mathematics 015/1, 025/1, 035/1 papers.

Khair said the Malaysian Examination Syndicate (MES) had confirmed that both papers were leaked on September 21.

“The resit is to ensure that the integrity and credibility of the UPSR exam and results is maintained,” he said.

He said the date was picked after taking into account the logistics and public holidays, such as Hari Raya Aidiladha.

The ministry’s announcement comes after Kuala Lumpur police confirmed on Sunday that MES officers had lodged reports about the leak of the UPSR Tamil and Mathematics papers.

More than 470,000 pupils sat for the Year 6 examinations.

Following an outcry last week over leaks in the English and Science papers, the syndicate announced that pupils will have to resit these papers on September 30.

Police have arrested 14 people in connection with the leaked Science and English test papers in Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Kedah and Negri Sembilan since last week.

All have since been released on police bail.

They have so far have recorded statements from 30 individuals to facilitate investigation into the leaked exam papers.

Police said those who have given statements were eight officers from MES, 19 teachers, an officer from the Education Ministry, an engineer and a journalist.

Police are investigating the case under Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1972.

It is learnt that police last week inspected the vaults where the UPSR papers were kept as part of their investigation into the case.

There are only several schools with such vaults nationwide and at least four of them are in Kuala Lumpur.

Following the earlier leaks of the English and Science papers, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh both issued public apologies for the leaks and postponement of exams.

Bernama reported on September 12 that Muhyiddin announced the suspension of Examinations Syndicate director Dr Na'imah Ishak and deputy director (operations) Dr Wan Ilias Wan Salleh with immediate effect.

However, this has been refuted by the ministry's secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad.

Madinah told Bernama yesterday that Na'imah and Wan Ilias were not suspended but had been re-assigned other duties unrelated to the Examinations Syndicate to enable an independent committee to carry out its investigations.

- TMI