Government to Study UEC Recognition

The Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he will ask the minister of education to do an in-depth study to assess the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). The result, he mentioned, will be presented to the Prime Minister. 

Photo Courtesy of Malay Mail Online

“I understand the important and crucial recognition of UEC has yet to be resolved to this day. Furthermore, it was an issue close to the heart of the late (Tan Sri) Adenan (Satem), which he had put much commitment into." He spoke about the possible recognition of UEC during a Chinese New year celebration in Kuching. 

“I will ask for the education minister to carry out an in-depth study on the recognition before presenting it to the Prime Minister so he can bring it to the cabinet and come up with a solution,” he added. 

He also mentioned that Sarawakian federal ministers, which include minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri, would follow the matter closely and “be the voice” of Sarawak-Chinese at the future tabling of recognition for the UEC in the cabinet.

Photo Courtesy of Sinchew

The UEC is a standardised exam for Chinese independent high schools in Malaysia, equivalent to Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM). It is recognised by some of the top universities worldwide including California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Oxford University, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Read More: Schools that Recognise UEC

However, despite being developed in Malaysia and set in place since 1975, the UEC is not recognised by the higher education ministry for admission into local public universities as the curriculum did not meet the requirements of the National Education Policy.

However, that is not the case in Sarawak. Under the administration of the late chief minister Adenan, Sarawak became the only state which officially recognised UEC for employment in the state civil service and to enter state-owned colleges and universities, as well as to apply for Yayasan Sarawak education loans.

Report from The Borneo Post Online and FMT