By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 1: The Sarawak government will begin implementing the Dual Language Programme Assessment (UP-DLP) for Primary Six students in October this year, marking a major step in strengthening bilingual proficiency among students.
The UP-DLP will include examinations in Science, Mathematics, and English, with the papers verified and vetted by Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUPA).
In a TVS news report, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the initiative is a strategic move to enhance mastery of both Bahasa Melayu and English in line with the demands of today’s digital economy.
Recalling a time when the Senior Cambridge Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) were the benchmark qualifications in Sarawak prior to the implementation of the national education policy, he noted that many successful Sarawakians were products of those systems.
“This programme will be benchmarked against international standards, with Bahasa Melayu assessed based on the national syllabus, while English will follow an international syllabus provided by Cambridge,” he explained.
The Premier made the announcement before witnessing the signing of a service contract between CUPA and Swinburne Innovation Malaysia (SWIM), representing the Sarawak government through Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) in Cambridge, United Kingdom, on Wednesday (April 30).
The agreement was signed by CUPA managing director of Partnership for Education, Jane Mann, and SWIM chief executive officer George Ngui, who represented MEITD.
Abang Johari emphasised that DLP Assessement programme is key to producing students who are proficient in both languages, thereby preparing them to pursue studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)—particularly within the framework of a digital-driven economy.
He noted that the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE) has granted approval to the MEITD to officially collaborate with the University of Cambridge to implement the programme.
Two universities will play major roles in the delivery and evaluation of the programme—namely, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, an internationally recognised institution, which will work alongside Cambridge in the State-level assessment process.
“This initiative is part of our broader efforts to cultivate a competitive, future-ready workforce that can directly contribute to Sarawak’s transition into a new strategic economy,” he added.
The strategic collaboration aims to enhance capacity building, elevate assessment systems, and enrich learning content, in alignment with Sarawak’s vision of becoming a regional hub for education and innovation.
It also reflects Sarawak’s firm commitment to building strong partnerships with globally recognised institutions in its mission to empower human capital and foster a high-impact learning ecosystem.
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Deputy Ministers Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee and Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and Federal-State Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, and Cambridge International Education Group managing director Rod Smith. — DayakDaily
