IT is not the collective stand of Pakatan Harapan that DAP should quit the coalition if the government does not recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said today.

He said the remark, reportedly made by DAP deputy secretary-general Nga Kor Ming in an interview, was his personal view and the issue has been discussed by PH leaders.

“We (PH) have discussed it. That is his personal stand.

“It is not the stand of the DAP congress, so we consider it a personal view and collective decisions are more important,” Mohamad told reporters after an event in Permatang Pauh, Penang.

Yesterday, Nga was reported as saying DAP will leave PH if the government fails to recognise UEC.

He had given an interview to Chinese-language newspaper Oriental Daily, which was rewritten by Malaysiakini.

On Twitter, Nga took issue with Malaysiakini’s report, which highlighted his remarks about DAP and the UEC.

Nga, who is also deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker, said his interview had focused on parliamentary reforms, but did not outright deny his remarks about the UEC.

The UEC special review committee, formed by the Education Ministry in 2018, recently completed its review of the certification for the government to decide on recognising the qualification.

The committee is waiting to submit its report to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is currently acting education minister.

Government recognition of the UEC has been a controversial topic for years, as part of the larger hot-potato subject of Chinese vernacular education.

Recognising the UEC was one of PH’s manifesto promises in the 2018 election. – January 30, 2020.