Are Malaysians becoming more stupid? Harvard would not accept a single Malaysian this year

For the second consecutive year, no Malaysian student has gained admission into Harvard University.

Datuk Dr Goh Cheng Teik, who heads the selection panel that interviews students for undergraduate admission into the university, said this was due to the deteriorating quality of applicants from Malaysia.

"I called the Harvard College Admissions Office and was told that although they received applications from Malaysian students, no one was shortlisted for interviews as they are not considered competitive enough," he told The Star.

Dr Goh said former SMK Damansara Jaya student Avinaash Subramaniam was the last Malaysian to be accepted into Harvard in 2010.

Avinaash obtained 11A's in the 2008 SPM and was awarded a full scholarship.

Harvard Club of Malaysia honorary secretary Nicholas Khaw, who is also an interviewer on the panel, said from 1985 to 2010, at least one applicant from Malaysia had been admitted into Harvard College every year. (Harvard College is the undergraduate school at Harvard University.)

In 2009, he said two students gained admission into Harvard.