Destined to FAIL, here’s how 8000+ students changed their fate with Program Pecutan SPM

For most Malaysians, the word SPM instantly brings back memories of late-night study sessions, endless past year papers, extra tuition classes, and the crushing weight of expectations from teachers, parents, and that one makcik who keeps asking “Dapat straight A tak?” at kenduri.

But what if the expectation… was that you’d fail?

That was the reality for thousands of students across Malaysia who either failed Bahasa Melayu or Sejarah during their trials, or, didn’t even sit for them. And in SPM world, failing either subject is like pulling the handbrake on your future.

Without passing both, you don’t get an SPM certificate, which means no opportunity for higher education, difficulty applying for jobs, and a whole lot of doors slamming shut before life even properly begins.

So for these students, the outlook was bleak.

Enter Program Pecutan SPM, an intensive academic intervention program under Belanjawan 2025, designed to pull them back from the brink and give them a fighting chance at changing their story.

To see how well it worked, we spoke to Ms Aeti Abdullah, Senior Manager for Education Advocacy at Yayasan Hasanah, to understand how this program turned failure into opportunity, and what it could mean for the future of Malaysian students.

So, what exactly is Program Pecutan SPM?

Program Pecutan SPM is part of Program Anak Kita, a government initiative by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, and Yayasan Hasanah. It was created to tackle the massive learning loss caused by COVID-19 – y’know, those two chaotic years of online classes where half the time kids were staring at a frozen Zoom screen.

At the start, the program identified and hand-picked students who were most at risk of failing SPM. Basically, there were either students who scored an E or below for BM and/or Sejarah during the trial exams, or those who didn’t even show up.

These students were then enrolled into a five-week intensive program, blending face-to-face classes with online support. The program focuses on three things:

Throughout this program, they receive extra tuition sessions, motivational support to get them out of “I’m doomed” mode, 24/7 access to Guru Pakar via Telegram, and targeted learning materials that actually match their level

The aim isn’t just to get them to memorise the skema jawapan, but to close learning gaps and rebuild their confidence, one worksheet and pep talk at a time.

Did it make a difference? Short answer: ABSOLUTELY

The numbers speak louder than any motivational TED Talk. According to the Program Anak Kita website, the program reached 10,119 students nationwide, and in its first run, 88% of them passed their exams. That’s a whopping 8,855 students who walked away with that precious SPM certificate!

And we’re not talking small improvements here. Across three key subjects (Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, and Mathematics) students made serious comebacks. According to Yayasan Hasanah, some even went from G to A+!

From all the students who failed or did not attend the Bahasa Melayu trial exams:

The same goes for Sejarah, where:

But the biggest leaps were definitely made in Mathematics, where:

Another huge win? Attendance. Even though 249 students had skipped their trial exams, 99% showed up for their actual SPM after joining the program. That’s a massive mindset shift – from giving up to showing up. And we’re glad they did, because 51% of those students actually passed their exams.

Program Pecutan SPM is coming back bigger and better in 2025

Just like how the program gave students the confidence to sit for their exams, its success has inspired organisers to scale it up for 2025. Ms Aeti Abdullah gave us the lowdown, and it’s looking pretty darn promising:

And to bring all this together, teachers from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) are jumping in, combining digital tools, real-life interaction, and personalised support to help students not just ace their exams, but build the confidence to take on whatever comes after.

So if you’re sitting for SPM soon (or know someone who is) remember: bombing your trials isn’t the end of the road. Sometimes it’s just the prequel to a pretty epic comeback.

Even if you’re chilling on the far left of the bell curve, help does exist. With programs like Program Anak Kita and Program Pecutan SPM, more students are getting a fair shot at flipping their story.

So chin up, sharpen that 2B pencil, and go write the ending you want.

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