By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 7: Sarawak is strengthening its autonomy in education by using the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report as the basis to implement rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), including introducing its own primary school examination, making it the first and only state in Malaysia to do so since the abolition of the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR).
Sarawak Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, said MA63 is a legally recognised document that empowers the State to assert its administrative rights, particularly in the field of education.
“MA63 is based on the IGC Report, and it now holds legal status. We have submitted 15 demands that were tabled in Parliament, and so far, progress has been very encouraging,” he told reporters today.
Dr Annuar was speaking after witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Letter of Intent for collaboration between i-Cats University College and various industry and TVET institutions, held today at i-Cats here.
The minister highlighted that among Sarawak’s key demands are the recognition of English as a medium of instruction in the State’s education system, and the transfer of project approval authority from the federal to the State government.
Dr Annuar added that the federal government’s approval for Sarawak to implement its own Primary Six examination demonstrates the strong cooperation between the State and federal governments.
“This exam will follow international standards with support from Cambridge University Press and Assessment, making Sarawak the only state to conduct its own standardised test after the national-level UPSR was abolished,” he said, adding that such implementation would not have been possible without federal approval.
Dr Annuar also cited Paragraph 17 of the IGC Report, which stipulates that all education policies in Sarawak must be consulted and discussed with the State government, even though the State Education Director is a federal officer.
Also present at the event were i-Cats vice chancellor Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi and other officials. — DayakDaily
