List of Popular Public Local Schools in Malaysia

Parents choose a school for their child based on what they think are more important; major exam results track record, school resources, students diversity, language of instruction, distance from their home, school culture, approach to teaching (pedagogy), etc. Many of the kids at urban schools speak English well.

Search for educational Institutions/ Schools in Malaysia Database.

Dual Language Programme (DLP)

DLP is a program that gives the school the options to have at least one class that uses English as the language of instruction for Science and Mathematics.
The school should receive at least 15 applications from the parents before a DLP class can be opened. There are also other criteria such as the school should have the resources to conduct a DLP class, etc. You have to consult your child’s school regarding how are the students allocated.

Dual Language Programme (DLP) Sample Questions and Activity Books

Here’s a list of some of the more popular schools that offers the Dual Language Programme (DLP) in Malaysia 

DLP Schools Full List here

Some are also high performance schools.

*National school: SK (Sekolah Kebangsaan) | SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan)

Vernacular school: SJK (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) – Cina or Tamil 

KLANG VALLEY

SMK Aminuddin Baki, Kuala Lumpur

Maluri | fb.com/SMKABKL

Despite having busy schedules with school work and co-curricular activities, the students are well taken care of by very supportive teachers.

Students who achieved straight As at SMK Aminuddin Baki

SK (P) & SMK (P) Assunta 1 & 2 

Seksyen 4, PJ | All girls school in PJ that nurture well-rounded students

SMK Assunta | Photo: HITZ FM Facebook

SK Bukit Damansara 

Facebook – A good mix of spoken Malay and English. High performance school.

Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara (Source: facebook.com/mediaskbd)

• SK & SMK Bukit Jelutong | Shah Alam – good UPSR results (primary)
• SK Dato’ Onn Jaafar | Subang Jaya
• SK & SMK Bukit Jalil
• SK & SMK Cochrane | Jalan Shahbandar, Maluri, KL
• SK & SMK Convent 1 & 2 Bukit Nanas (Convent Bukit Nanas) | Jalan Bukit Nanas, KL – Alumni: Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Ambiga Sreenevasan
• SK & SMK Cyberjaya
• SK & SMK Damansara Jaya 1 & 2

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How to Buy School Shoes Malaysia

• SK & SMK Damansara Utama
• SK Jalan 3 | Bandar Baru Bangi – good UPSR results
• SK (L) Methodist & Methodist Boys’ Secondary School (MBSSKL) | Jalan Wesley/ off Jalan Hang Jebat | Facebook – Cluster School of Excellence and High Performance School. The secondary school is very popular. Alumni: Dr Noor Hisham, Syed Hamid Albar, Awal Ashaari
• SK (P) Methodist (1) Brickfields 
• Methodist Girls’ School (MGSSKL) Secondary | Taman Tasik, KL
• SK & SMK Methodist | Seksyen 5, PJ

SK Taman Megah 

Petaling Jaya | SKTamanMegahFB 

Highly popular school, English is widely spoken on top of BM

Photo: SK Taman Megah FB

• SK Taman Tun Dr Ismail 1 – Students performed well in exams.
• SK Presint 11(1) | Putrajaya – very popular school in Putrajaya
• SK Presint 9(2) | Putrajaya
• SK Presint 18(1) | Putrajaya
• SK & SMK Saujana Impian
• SK & SMK SEAFIELD | Subang Jaya
• SK Seksyen 1 Bandar Kinrara
• SK Seksyen 9 Shah Alam & SMK Seksyen 9
• SK & SMK Seri Bintang Selatan | Cheras

• SK & SMK Seri Bintang Utara (previously Bukit Bintang Girls School) | Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Cheras – high performance school. Alumni: Yasmin Yusuff, Carolyn Au Yong (Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist Gymnast)

Photo: SMK Seri Bintang Utara

• SK Setiawangsa | SKSetiawangsaFB – good UPSR results
• SK Sri Petaling | Seksyen 12, PJ – more racially diverse, high performance school.
• SK St. John 1 & 2 and St. John’s Institution (SJI) Secondary | Bukit Nanas
• SK & SMK St. Mary | Jalan Intan Baiduri, Kepong
• SK Seri Selangor | USJ4, Subang 
• SK & SMK Taman Bukit Maluri | Kepong
• SK USJ 12
• Victoria Institution (VI) | Secondary | Jalan Hang Tuah – Alumni: Sidek brothers, Foo Kok Keong, Ananda Krishnan
• SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1
• SMK Puteri Wilayah (all-girls school previously SMK Kampung Bharu Jalan Stoney) | Chow Kit, KL
• SJK (T) Tun Sambanthan | USJ 15
• SJK (T) Castlefield | Puchong

PENANG

• SMK Bukit Jambul | Gelugor
• SK & SMK Convent Green Lane | George Town – Alumnus: Datuk Nicol David 
• Penang Free School (Secondary) | Jalan Masjid Negeri – Alumni: Tunku Abdul Rahman, P. Ramlee
• St. George’s Girl School/ SMK (P) St George | Jalan Macalister
• Jit Sin High School/ SMJK Jit Sin | Bukit Mertajam – Alumnus: Datuk Lee Chong Wei
• SK Minden Height
• Chung Ling High School/ SMJK Chung Ling | Ayer Itam – Alumnus: Koh Tsu Koon
• Chung Ling Butterworth High School/ SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth
• SMK Perempuan China Pulau Pinang | Jalan Gottlieb
• SMK Bukit Jambul
• SMK Union
• SMK Kwang Hwa | Bayan Lepas
• SMK (P) St George/ St. George’s Girls’ High School | George Town

Non-DLP

• SJK (C) Han Chiang
• SJK (C) Union
• SJK (C) Kwang Hwa Bayan Lepas
• SJK (C) Perempuan China | Jalan Gottlieb
• SK Bertam Indah

JOHOR

• Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar/ English College Johore Bahru – all boys, cluster school of excellence
• SK Convent | Muar
• SK & SMK Infant Jesus Convent Johor Bahru
• SK & SMK (P) Sultan Ibrahim | JB
• SK Nong Chik | Jalan Nong Chik, JB
• SMK Taman Molek | JB

Non-DLP

• SK Sri Tebrau | Jalan Sutera, JB
• SK St Joseph | JB
• SK Taman Bukit Indah | Iskandar Puteri
• SK Taman Perling 3 | JB
• SK Bandar Uda (2) | JB
• SK Bandar Maharani | Muar
• SK Bandar Penawar 2 | Desaru
• SK Tengku Mariam | Batu Pahat
• SJK (T) Ladang Rem | Kota Tinggi
• SJK (C) Foon Yew 2 | JB

PERAK

• Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar – premier residential school. Alumni: Rafizi Ramli (best student award), Anwar Ibrahim
• SK Convent Kota | Taiping
• SMK Convent Ipoh – Alumni: Michelle Yeoh, Amy Mastura, Francissca Peter
• SMK Ave Maria Convent | Ipoh
• SK Marian Convent | Ipoh
• SK Convent Taiping
• SK & SMK Methodist (ACS) | Ipoh
• SMK Sam Tet | Ipoh
• SK Sultan Idris II, Perak | Kuala Kangsar
• SK & SMK King Edward VII | Taiping 

Non-DLP

• SJK (C) Ave Maria Convent | Ipoh
• SJK (C) Sam Tet | Ipoh

NEGERI SEMBILAN

• Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak | Sungai Gadut – Premier Full residential boys school
• SK & SMK King George V | Seremban
• SK & SMK (L) St Paul (Boys) | Seremban – Alumni: YB Anthony Loke
• SK & SMK Methodist ACS | Seremban
• SK & SMK (P) Puteri (formerly Convent) | Seremban
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Rembau

Non-DLP

• Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Jaafar (STJ) | Kuala Pilah

SABAH

• SK St Agnes | Kota Kinabalu
• SK Lingga Baru | Tuaran
• SK Sri Gaya | Kota Kinabalu

SARAWAK

• SK Ulu Lubai | Limbang
• SMK Tung Hua | Sibu
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching (Sekolah Berasrama Penuh)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Miri (Sekolah Berasrama Penuh)

Non-DLP

• SJK (C) Tung Hua Sibu

PAHANG

• SMK (P) Methodist | Kuantan
• SMK Abdul Rahman Talib | Kuantan
• SK St Thomas | Kuantan
• SK Convent Tanah Rata | Cameron Highlands
• SMK (P) Methodist Kuantan

Non-DLP

• SJK (T) Ringlet
• SK Perempuan Methodist Kuantan
• SK Seri Biram | Pekan

KELANTAN

• SK & SMK Zainab 1 & 2 | Kota Bharu
• SK Kubang Kerian 3 | Kota Bharu
• SK Seri Wakaf Baharu | Wakaf Bharu

TERENGGANU

• SK & SMK Chukai | Kemaman
• SMK Seri Budiman | Kuala Terengganu
• SK & SMK Sultan Sulaiman 1 & 2 | Kuala Terengganu
• SK & SMK Tengku Ampuan Intan | Kuala Berang, Kuala Terengganu
• SK Sultan Ismail | Chukai
• SK & SMK Tengku Mahmud 1 & 2 | Besut
• SK Kampong Raja | Besut
• SMK Lembah Bidong | Kuala Terengganu – good SPM results

KEDAH

• SMK Keat Hwa 1 & 2 | Alor Setar
• SMK Sin Min | Sungai Petani – cluster school of excellence
• Sek Menengah Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa | Sungai Petani
• SK & SMK Ibrahim | Sungai Petani
• SMK Sultan Badlishah | Kulim

Non-DLP

• Sek Menengah Teknik Alor Setar

Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) – NON-DLP

Secondary

• Catholic High School Petaling Jaya/ SMJK Katholik 公教中学 | Seksyen 10 | chspj.edu.my

Primary

• SJKC Yuk Chai 育才华文小学 | Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya | sjkcyukchaipj.edu.my

Photo: SJKC Yuk Chai FB

• SJK(C) Han Ming Puchong 蒲种汉民华小
• SJKC Chen Mom Petaling Jaya 精武华文学校
• SJK(C) Kuen Cheng 坤成华小 | Jalan Belfield, KL – nice space for outdoor/ co-curricular activities
• SJK(C) Kuen Cheng 2 坤成华小2 | Lorong Syed Putra Kiri, KL | kuencheng2.edu.my | KuenCheng2-FB – popular school with good reviews, new school, air-cond, locker for each student, performed well in exams.
  (Kuen Cheng High School is a private school)
• SJKC La Salle 大城堡乐圣华文小学 | Sri Petaling, KL | lasalle.sjkc.com.my – newer amenities
• SJKC Lai Meng 黎明国民型华文小学校 & Tadika Lai Meng 黎明幼儿园 | Bukit Jalil | sjkclaimeng.edu.my – good facilities, big class around 40 students per class. Amazing facilities and parents have to contribute about RM150 per month. Very active PIBG (Parents and Teachers Society). Very popular school and difficult to get in. 
• SJK (C) Lick Hung, Selangor | SS19, Subang Jaya – good results
• SJKC Puay Chai 培才国民型华文学校 | SS2, PJ
• SJKC Puay Chai 2 | Bandar Utama
• SJKC Sungai Way 双溪威华小 | Petaling Jaya
• Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Choong Wen 吉隆坡崇文国民型华文小学 | Jalan Klang Lama | choongwen.edu.my – Too many students in one class. Amazing assembly hall and running track. Spacious school hall with LED screen. It offers many outdoor programs for children. The UPSR results are also good.
• SJKC Yoke Nam – Big class about 40+ students. Good academic results.
•  

Source

For reference here’s the list of the best schools according to UPSR, PT3 and SPM results.

moe.gov.my: garis panduan pelaksanaan DLP

data.gov.my: list of DLP schools