Editor,

Many times, ageing candidates have written in your Readers' Forum, raising genuine concerns about the differences between the annual and semester systems, particularly regarding mark allocation and the final allotment of marks in the API scorecard. However, it appears that the APPSC has paid little attention to these concerns, while seemingly giving greater consideration to the demands raised by so-called unions.

The concerns of individual candidates, especially those who have repeatedly brought these issues to public attention, also deserve to be heard and addressed transparently. A fair system should take into account the difficulties faced by all candidates, rather than giving precedence to the voices of organised groups alone.

Applying a suitable normalisation method for the marks obtained under the annual and semester systems at the graduation and master's levels could help ensure a fair and equitable assessment of candidates. Such a mechanism would take into account the differences in the two examination systems and help prevent candidates from the annual system from being unfairly disadvantaged.

I therefore request all candidates who feel disadvantaged because they completed their graduation or master's degrees under the annual system to come together and form a common platform or group to submit a collective representation to the commission. A united and genuine representation may help ensure that these concerns are properly heard and considered.

Another serious concern is that the commission is reportedly not accepting teaching experience certificates from private colleges. This raises an important question: can the commission reasonably expect ageing aspirants to have remained unemployed throughout these years, particularly when the present recruitment/interview process is being conducted after almost 10 years? Many candidates may have spent these years working in private institutions and gaining valuable teaching experience simply because regular opportunities were not available to them.

The commission should therefore reconsider these issues objectively and sympathetically. The long gap in recruitment, the differences between the annual and semester systems, and the teaching experience acquired by candidates during this period should all be taken into account while determining eligibility and allocating marks.

I sincerely request the commission to review these matters transparently and provide a fair opportunity to all deserving candidates, irrespective of whether they belong to the annual or semester system or have gained their teaching experience in government or private institutions.

Bmore Kepang