KUALA LUMPUR April 4 – The 1999 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results have seen an improvement in the overall performance of schools nationwide with 119 of them scoring 100 percent passes compared to 111 schools in 1998.
The number of schools with all candidates getting grade one also increased to 17 from 12 previously.
A total of 76,051 candidates obtained grade one compared to 71,382 the previous year; 74,400 got grade two compared to 68,921 in 1998 and 54,871 passed with grade three compared to 54,243 in 1998.
The number of candidates who obtained the maximum 10 A1s increased almost three times from 65 in 1998 to 189 last year.
The results were announced by Education Director-General Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Abdullah today.
In PENANG, six schools registered 100 percent passes, and four of them are Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMK A).
The four religious secondary schools with a clean slate are SMK (A) Al-Irshad, SMK (A) Al-Mashoor Lelaki, SMK (A) Al-Mashoor Perempuan and SMK (A) Nibong Tebal, while the other two schools with 100 percent passes are Sekolah Menengah (SM) Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin and SM Teknik Lorong Batu Lancang.
In a statement, the state Education Department said SMK (A) Al-Irshad, SM Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin and SMK (A) Al-Mashoor Lelaki were the best as none of their candidates got grade three.
A total of 18,514 candidates sat for the examination last year compared with 18,142 in 1998.
In KEDAH, 15,995 or 70 percent of government school candidates passed the examination, a figure which equals the national passing rate and surpasses the 69.4 percent passes recorded in 1998.
State Education Director Hassan Hashim said the number of first and second graders increased to 26.0 and 24.7 percent respectively from 25.0 and 24.2 percent in 1998.
SM Sains Pokok Sena emerged the top school for the third straight year with all its candidates getting grade one, he said.
Seven other schools also scored 100 percent passes, and they are SMK (A) Kedah, SM Sultan Abdul Halim, SM Sains Sultan Mohd Jiwa, SMK Sultanah Asma, SMK Sultan Badlishah, SMK (A) Baling and SMK (A) Yan.
In PERAK, its overall passing rate improved by one percentage point while 105 candidates achieved excellent results compared with 83 in 1998.
Four religious secondary schools, including two run by the state government, scored 100 percent passes, State Education Director Ahmad Zainuddin Othman said in a statement.
They are SMK (A) Slim River and SMK (A) Sultan Azlan Shah and the state-run schools of SM Izzuddin Shah and SM Raja Perempuan Taayah.
In NEGERI SEMBILAN, the passing rate rose by 2.7 percentage points with 9,853 candidates passing while six schools scored 100 percent passes.
State Education Director Kusaini Hasbullah said of this number, 4,086 candidates obtained grade one, 3,472 grade two and 2,295 grade three.
The schools with 100 percent passes are SMK (A) Persekutuan, Labu, Kolej Tunku Khurshiah, SM Sains Tuanku Jaafar, Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, SMK (A) Haji Mohd Said, and SMK (A) Pedas.
In JOHOR, the percentage passes improved by 0.4 percentage of a point to 68.6 percent.
State Education Director Rashdi Ramlan said 8,632 candidates obtained grade one while 10 schools scored 100 percent passes.
They are SM Tun Fatimah, SM Sains Muar, SM Sains Kota Tinggi, SM Sains Kluang, SM Teknik Perdagangan, SMK (A) Segamat, SMK (A) Johor Baharu, SMK Mahaad in Muar, SMK (A) Penawar and SM Teknik Segamat.
Meanwhile in PAHANG, 14,206 candidates passed the examination and of this number 5,370 obtained grade one compared to 5,060 in 1998.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, when announcing the results, said eight schools chalked up 100 percent passes, including SM Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Pekan whose students all scored grade one.
The other schools with 100 percent passes are SM Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (in Kuantan), SMK Abd Rahman Talib, SMK (A) Tengku Ampuan Hajah Afzan Pahang, SMK Padang Saujana, SM Sains Tengku Abdullah, SM Teknik Muadzam Shah and SMK Seri Jengka.
In PERLIS, acting state Education Director Sulaiman Ismail said 1,002 of the 3,359 candidates from 20 government schools obtained grade one.
Three schools – SMK Datuk Sheikh Ahmad, SMK (A) Arau and SM Sains Tuanku Syed Putra – obtained 100 percent passes.
In SARAWAK, state Education Director Putit Matzen said 17,567 candidates passed the examination compared to 15,529 the previous year.
The number of first graders increased to 5,989 from 5,275 in 1998.
Seven schools scored 100 percent passes. They are Kolej Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah, SM Sains and SM (A) Matang No. 2 here, Sekolah Menengah Agama, Kolej Tun Datuk Tuanku Bujang and SM Sains (all in Miri), and SMK Teknik in Sibu.
In SELANGOR, out of the 37,159 students who sat for the examination, 10,683 obtained grade one, 8,634 grade two and 5,931 grade three.
According to a statement from the state Education Department, five schools scored 100 percent passes, including three whose students all obtained grade one.
The schools with 100 percent first graders are SMK Sains Kuala Selangor, SMK (A) Persekutuan Kajang and Kolej Islam Klang, while the other two with 100 percent passes are SMK (A) Kuala Selangor and SM Teknik Sungai Buloh.
In TERENGGANU, six SMK (A) are among nine schools with 100 percent passes.
The religious schools with 100 percent passes are SMK (A) Sheikh Abdul Malek, SMK (A) Tok Jiring, SMK (A) Batu Rakit, SMK (A) Durian Guling, SMK (A) Wataniah and SMK (A) Nurul Ittifaq.
The others with a perfect record are SM Sains Sultan Mahmud, all of whose students scored grade one, SM Sains Dungun and SM Teknik Kuala Terengganu.
In SABAH, the number of schools with 100 percent passes increased from five to eight.
They are SM Sains Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan, SM Teknik WP Labuan, SM Teknik Kudat, SM Teknik Sandakan, SM Teknik Tawau, SMK Agama (Tawau) Semporna, SM Sains Lahad Datu and SM Teknik Lahad Datu.
In KELANTAN, eight schools obtained 100 percent passes compared with five schools the year before.
They are Maktab Sultan Ismail, SM Sains Tengku Mohd Faris Petra, SMK (A) Naim Lil-Banat, SMK Ismail Petra, SM Sains Machang, SMK (A) Falahiah, SM Sains Pasir Puteh and SM Teknik Pasir Mas.
State Education Director Mohamed Hasan said Sek Men Sains Pasir Puteh, whose students were taking the SPM for the first time, came through with flying colours as 105 of its 106 candidates scored grade one.
Mohamed said four students in the state scored 9A1s – two from Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Pengkalan Chepa and one each from Maktab Sultan Ismail and Sekolah Menengah Agama Maahad Muhammadi here.
He said 73.7 percent of the 21,244 candidates from 112 fully-aided schools passed the examination, an increase of 0.7 percentage point from 1998.
Kelantan also recorded 100 percent passes in two subjects – Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah and Rekacipta.