Ambitious higher education reform in

Malaysia: iCGPA, graduate employment,

and the student development agenda
23 September 2015

Doria Abdullah, Observatory Associate, Malaysia

Holistic student development is not a new idea in higher education, and “whole” student
initiatives have been implemented globally (examples include the US, East Asia and the UK).
Malaysia attempts to takes things one step further by proposing a system called the Integrated
Cumulative Grade Point Average (iCGPA), with the objective of enhancing student outcomes
in public higher education.

What is the rationale for the iCGPA, and will it work?

Under the iCGPA system, both the students’ academic and non – academic performance will
be evaluated. Their performance at the end of each semester will be presented in two forms:
the listing of subjects and grades as featured in conventional academic transcripts, and a
“spider web” of points profiling specific skills sets obtained through extra – curricular
activities. A total of nine graduate attributes have been identified for assessment:

 knowledge and understanding;

 practical skills;
 social skills and responsibilities;
 professional skills, ethics and values;
 communication, leadership and teamwork;
 problem-solving skills and scientific thinking;
 information management and life-long learning;
 entrepreneurship and management;
 unity and patriotism.

The ambitious pilot project will kick-start in the new 2015/2016 academic term. Over 300
students out of the 40,000 incoming undergraduates are involved in the project, to be
implemented across selected faculties at five public universities: Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
(UMT), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UPM). The

© The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2015

implementation will only involve universities in the public sector, although practitioners from
the private sector welcomed the move and are keen to find ways to get involved.

The iCGPA system is one of the key initiatives outlined for implementation under the
Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025 that was launched back in April
2015. Announcing the pilot project, the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh
emphasised that the ministry encourages students to undertake a balanced approach between
academic obligations and activities outside the classroom. Students should excel
academically and possess positive values and ethics. Additionally, they should also be
capable of contributing to the well being of local communities.

The announcement received mixed responses from the public. Proponents see the system as a
big step in pushing significant mindset change among students, parents and employers. Some
questioned the neo-liberal undertone of the implementation. Others raised concerns about
operationalising the iCGPA system, as clear guidelines have yet to be rolled out. Moreover,
employers might be impatient with the timeline of implementation, since they have long
experienced difficulties in identifying graduates with the right competencies.

The iCGPA system puts Malaysia’s graduate employability agenda into the spotlight.
Graduate employability has been a long – standing issue discussed by policy makers,
universities and employers in Malaysia. On the one hand, the country is on the right track in
increasing access to post – secondary education. On the other hand, graduates below 25 years
of age constitute more than 60 percent of the unemployed. According to the World Bank, this
‘puzzle’ requires urgent attention given Malaysia’s desire for a more knowledge- and
innovation- driven economy.

In 2013, only 75 percent of graduates are reported to have either obtained employment, be on
waiting lists for job placements or are pursuing higher degrees (within 6 months after
completion of their studies). Employers noted challenges in identifying suitable talent.
Common problems identified include poor command of English, poor character, attitude or
personality, unrealistic expectations on salary/benefits, skills mismatch, graduates being
choosy over the type of job or company, lack of problem solving abilities and inability to
demonstrate depth in skills and knowledge obtained.

In a World Bank – Talent Corp study involving over 200 Malaysian employers, respondents
expect graduates to possess certain job – ready skills but blame their absence on poor
communication between universities and industry. .Employers also found that the curriculum
in university does not match current realities of industry. Another study found that graduates
from private higher education are perceived to be more proactive, have higher levels of

© The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2015

confidence, and possess better international perspectives and English communication skills
than graduates from the public sector.

Other measures have been introduced in response to these concerns. With regard to graduate
employability, a total of RM 30 million is allocated under the Budget 2015 to develop an
Industry Academia Collaboration programme. The programme will be championed by Talent
Corp, an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department that focuses on formulating and
facilitating talent-related initiatives in the country. It aims at developing industry – ready
graduates, and stimulates collaboration between universities, government agencies and
industries in the areas of short course development and industrial training. The budget also
includes provision for employers to enjoy double deduction tax incentives for structured
internships aimed at students pursuing diploma and equivalent vocational certifications.

In terms of student development, volunteerism has been actively integrated in co –

curriculum activities through the establishment of Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS,
Student Volunteering Foundation) in 2011. The foundation provides training and monitoring
of volunteering activities and humanitarian programmes organised by Malaysian university
students within the country and beyond. Youths are also provided funding opportunities
through the DRe1M Fund iM4U (Dana Sukarelawan 1 Malaysia, iM4U) under the purview of
the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia to carry out volunteering opportunities along the
lines of youth development, sports, social enterprise, community well – being as well as arts,
culture and innovation.

There is also regional interest in volunteerism through the implementation of the ASEAN
Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP), an annual initiative developed and implemented by
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The event brings together 50 youths from 10
member countries under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for targeted
volunteering programmes within the region. The environment – themed 2015 edition was

© The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2015

held from Aug 2 – 29 in Cambodia, and supported by USAID, the ASEAN Secretariat, the
Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Cambodia, and UN Volunteers.

The iCGPA system is a novel initiative in quantifying students’ learning outcome in

university. It reflects the need for universities to be responsive to the changing dynamics in
the global job market. It attempts to address two critical issues at one go: first, institutional
efforts in support of developing the holistic student, and second, issues of talent development
in general, and of graduate employability in particular. It also pushes collective action by the
university community rather than letting career centres and counsellors design and implement
career development activities on their own. In addition, it serves as a reminder to students,
who are direct beneficiaries of the implementation: there is no room for them to skate through
their studies solely on quizzes, tests and assignments. They need to invest time and effort in
programmes and initiatives both inside and outside the classroom. Assessment of academic
competence, character development and non – academic competency development should run
parallel every semester throughout their studies.

Despite the positive outlook, one can’t help but question the abrupt implementation of the
iCGPA system. In order for students to be evaluated based on the nine graduate attributes,
appropriate programmes and learning opportunities must be designed, trainers and academic
staff must be briefed and be familiar with the rubrics and criteria for assessment, and the
implementation of said programmes and learning opportunities must be aligned with existing
student development agendas at both the faculty and university levels. Without a grace period
for implementation, there might not be sufficient room to evaluate effectiveness of the system
and conduct fair assessment on every student in the pilot project.

It is also unclear if the iCGPA system is capable of solving key issues in graduate
employability, in particular university – industry collaboration and curriculum development.
It may yet be another chase for scores by the students, and additional documentation load to
be completed by academics and administrators. Another potential shortcoming of the system
comes in quantification of some of the graduate attributes, especially on unity and patriotism.
How might the students’ love for the country be fairly measured and assessed?

University education is a transformative, life – changing experience for each individual who
is privileged to experience it. Developing the right competence of each undergraduate has to
start from Day 1 of a student’s university education. On the other hand, character
development is a continuous process and should not only happen within the student’s
duration of study. The iCGPA system must take this into consideration in its design,
philosophy and implementation as it documents both career competence and character
development of students in the Malaysian higher education system. It is only then that the
objectives and impact of the system can be fully optimised by its intended stakeholders, in
particular the student population.

© The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2015