Clarify UEC recognition, SUPP man urges PM Anwar amid education reform

SIBU (Jan 22): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should give a clear and unambiguous answer on the issue of Unified Certificate Examination (UEC) recognition, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Central assistant publicity and information secretary Wong Ching Yong.

He said the Chinese community was abuzz with questions about whether the Unity Government has recognised UEC following Anwar’s announcement on the direction of education reform on Tuesday.

“The prime minister could easily emulate the Sarawak government’s approach, which is straightforward and free of semantic manoeuvring, which does not leave room for public speculation.

“Even if conditions are imposed, they should be reasonable and clearly stated such as in Sarawak’s case where UEC holders are only required to obtain a pass in Bahasa Malaysia in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM),” he said in a statement.

He said Sarawak has recognised the UEC since 2015 without imposing additional restrictions, interfering in the curriculum of Chinese independent secondary schools, or politicising it as a ‘sensitive issue’.

Sarawak’s success demonstrated that within a multi-ethnic society, the general public welcomed government funding for Chinese independent schools and UEC recognition, he said.

Anwar had said during the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2026-2035 that the majority of UEC and international schools students already sit for the SPM examination, and Bahasa Malaysia and History will be made compulsory for international schools, religious schools and all Chinese or UEC-stream schools.

Wong, however, said that Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir had stated the compulsory sitting of Bahasa Malaysia and History in SPM was an “initial step and not a final decision on entry into local universities”.

“Meanwhile, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek reportedly said that students from Chinese independent schools must sit for at least six SPM subjects.

“Education director-general Datuk Mohamad Azam Ahmad had also stated that SPM candidates cannot sit for only one subject, but must take at least six including Bahasa Malaysia, English, History, Mathematics, Science and Moral or Religious Education.

“This imposes a higher threshold on UEC students within the federal education system, and raises serious questions about whether the intrinsic value of Chinese independent education is truly being respected,” he said.

Wong, who has served on the board of Sibu Chinese Independent Secondary Schools for many years, said that there were two possible interpretations of Anwar’s stance on the UEC.

“The first possibility is that under the guise of an education blueprint, all secondary schools may be forced to sit for the SPM while the UEC itself remains unrecognised. Even if students are allowed to apply to public universities, admission would be based solely on SPM results.

“The second possibility is that the government is willing to recognise the UEC, but only with additional conditions, such as passing Bahasa Malaysia and History in SPM,” he said.

He questioned why the conditions kept escalating, while by contrast in Sarawak, UEC holders applying to state institutions of higher learning or the civil service only needed a pass or credit in SPM Bahasa Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Wong also urged Chinese education leaders, particularly the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), to stand firmly from the perspective of Chinese independent schools.

He also reminded Dong Zong president Datuk Tan Yew Sing that Dong Zong remained the most critical line of defence for Chinese education.

“As such, it must be even more sensitive than the general public to any ambiguities in government policy and must not rush to appease those in power.

“Given Sarawak’s successful experience, Datuk Tan Yew Sing may consult former Dong Zong leaders from Sarawak on how national Dong Zong can accelerate efforts to ensure that Anwar or Pakatan Harapan fulfils its promise on UEC recognition,” he said.