KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 18 national athletes competing in the Bangkok SEA Games will sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations after the biennial event concludes.
The SEA Games will take place from Dec 9 to 20, while the SPM examination period runs from Nov 3 to Dec 23.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said 17 of the athletes are government school candidates, with one being a private candidate.
“The National Sports Council (NSC) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have agreed that the 17 school candidates will sit for their exams at the NSC complex in Bukit Jalil,” she told Bernama.
“For the private candidate, the MOE has requested that a direct application be submitted to the Examination Board, and the ministry will make the necessary arrangements to facilitate the process,” she added.
Earlier, Malaysia’s Chief de Mission (CDM) to the SEA Games, Nurul Huda Abdullah, has voiced concern over the fate of 18 national athletes who are also candidates for this year’s SPM examination.
The SPM dates and the Sea Games duration overlaps, putting the student-athletes in a difficult position.
“This situation has put both the athletes and their families in a real dilemma to represent the country or to sit for one of the most important exams of their lives,” she said. – October 15, 2025