Take your time, but UEC must be recognised, Chinese educationists tell Pakatan

Briana Leong Briana Leong Updated 5 years ago · Published on 11 Jul 2018 4:08PM · 2 Comments

Students from a Chinese school attending an assembly in this file picture taken on August 11, 2017. Chinese educationists have reminded the Pakatan government of its pledge to recognise the UEC but is willing to give them time to do so. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, July 11, 2018.

CHINESE educationists in Malaysia have reminded the Pakatan Harapan government of its election promise of recognising the United Examination Certificate (UEC), but said they understand the need to manage the issue with sensitivity so that it is not politicised.

Malaysian Chinese Education Consultative Council first vice-chairman Zhou Shou Han said he himself had met with a PH leader, who is now a senior minister, in December to discuss UEC recognition.

“Once PH recognises the UEC, Chinese independent secondary school students will be able to enter local public universities. The only criteria is that the applicant has to achieve a good Bahasa Malaysia result in SPM.

“The UEC will be recognised while maintaining the entry requirements of public universities,” said Zhou.

He said the previous government run by the Barisan Nasional coalition, with 14 component parties including MCA, had refused to recognise UEC since its inception 43 years ago, but PH’s four component parties had openly declared support on its election manifesto.

“We believe that they (PH) are genuine. With the combined resources of all four PH parties, I believe it will be effective, and this is what they have promised,” Zhou said.

However, he said that the Chinese community is willing to give the new government some time to enforce the new ruling, and stressed that the issue of Chinese education should not be used as a pawn for political games.

“This is a question of education, we don’t want it to be turned into a political issue, what more a racial issue.

“We will, of course, face those who support single-stream education, there were many who opposed us in the previous administration, and this will make things difficult for Education Minister Maszlee Malik and his deputy Teo Nie Chieng,” he said.

“We have already waited 43 years, I think we can give them some time so this can be done properly.”

Former sociocultural adviser to the government Rais Yatim has said the decision to recognise the UEC must be backed up by in-depth study, warning that the move may have implications on the Malays and the importance of the national language.

Rais told reporters that recognising the UEC should not just be decided by the cabinet, but should take in the opinions of scholars and social development experts. – July 11, 2018.

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Comments

  • Yes Pakatan should take their time to address this issue. I think 100 years is a good time frame.

    Posted 5 years ago by Zaki Razak · Reply

  • Utterly rubbish by Rais Yatim of view point. It is exactly this type myopic view that created a lop sided quota and brain drain in Malaysia. UEC recognition has no basis to impact the Malays in the allocation or the no basis reasoning in the hindering of the National Language. It is only a recognition for entrance to tertiary education with a mandatory good pass in the National language and after that in the university it is still the wide usage of National Language and others . The National Language is never at all threaten except in the minds of a racist self serving politician playing the role of shit stirring . The previous regime has never place emphasis in up grading or building up more local university as money was plentiful to send many Malay students oversea to study and thus many others especially the nons were deprived of good education which is supposedly the responsibility of the Government of the day. Why is Rais so fearful of the UEC recognition??? The nons population are less than half of the Malays population. If there is shortage of Universitie, place a plan to build more. In fact the vernacular school education sysytem has attracted many of the Malays to send their children to such school and instead of the ignorant who are bashing out fear should in fact embrace the effective system . It is now extremely important for the Government to understudy why the vernacular schools are producing good students who are better and excell in reasoning and deduction apart from being academically sound. An education task force should review how such learning skill be assimilate into the national schools and from there compile and formulate a single stream education that will satisfy all in the future and no disputes in the UEC or what ever terms to identify it. We cannot move forward if there is always a fear and suspicions of others and to stiffle it by placing man made obstacles. Stop using this filmsy excuse to retain Ketuanan.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply