DAP’s plan to revive the push for recognising the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) has run into immediate resistance from Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh.
Following DAP’s heavy defeat in the Sabah polls, deputy chairperson Nga Kor Ming said the party would seek a meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the matter. Nga, who is also the housing and local government minister, reiterated DAP’s commitment to education reforms.
Akmal swiftly rebuffed the idea, “imploring” Anwar not to recognise the UEC and warning that “we will not compromise” on this issue. He also chastised Nga, saying a minister should already understand the country’s education policy.
“There are three (points). First is Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium of instruction, second is that the same national curriculum must be taught, and third, students must sit for the same examination.
“Whether you are aware, or pretending not to know, the UEC does not satisfy the aforementioned criteria… So how are we to recognise the examination?” he wrote on Facebook.
Akmal argued that the UEC has already been granted substantial flexibility. He traced its policy history, noting that Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as education minister in 1975, allowed the examination to continue. He added that during former premier Najib Abdul Razak’s tenure in 2004, private higher education institutions were permitted to admit UEC holders.
According to Akmal, the UEC has also been accepted since 2010 for entry into the Bachelor of Education (Chinese Language) programme at Teachers Training Institutes, and since 2019 for law degree admissions.
Addressing Nga directly, he asked: “Do you know that Malaysia is the only country in the world which recognises the vernacular education system? Does Singapore recognise a different system? No.”
As reported yesterday, Nga’s latest remarks reignited criticism on Malay social media, with claims that DAP was trying to undermine the Malays and pressure Anwar.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke later attempted to reposition the debate, saying the UEC should be seen as complementary to efforts to strengthen the Malay language. Speaking on the Chinese-language YouTube channel “The Keywords”, he revealed that the government will introduce a new policy within six months to bolster all languages, including recognising the UEC.
DAP’s Chinese supporters continue to demand UEC recognition “without any strings attached.”
Pakatan Harapan’s 2018 general election manifesto pledged to recognise the UEC for admission into public higher education institutions, provided applicants have a Bahasa Malaysia credit at SPM level, and that the UEC is assessed as equivalent to other entry qualifications.