This change is not so simple..I think it is to ensure the other race would not be seen too smart...
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/5/22/nation/3960571&sec=nation
PUTRAJAYA: Students sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination may not be allowed to take as many subjects as they like in future.
This is to put an end to claims on unfairness in the award of Public Service Department scholarships.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that, as things stood now, students in government schools had no limit on the number of subjects they could take, meaning that those from other schools, like fully residential ones, were “disadvantaged”.
This would be among several matters to be discussed at a special meeting next week.
Reacting to the proposals, academicians agreed that it was vital that students enjoy their teen years and not spend all their time focusing on academic success only.
They also said that for entry into public universities, it was the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia or matriculation results which mattered, not the SPM.