By William Isau
SIBU, Feb 20: Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to explain the Education Ministry’s decision not to recognise Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) and not to provide funding for private Chinese secondary schools.
Speaking at a luncheon organised by a Buddhist temple in Sungai Pak here yesterday, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong said this disclosure had stirred discussion in the wider Chinese community.
Calling the Education Minister’s statement ‘very shocking and extremely disappointing’, Wong said the Chinese community needs a clear explanation from the Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan.
He said Pakatan Harapan is not fulfilling its promise to recognise the UEC as laid out in its 14th and 15th General Elections manifesto.
Wong called on the unity government to emulate the Sarawak government which had since September 2015 recognised the UEC and accepted applications from UEC holders for vacancies in the Sarawak civil service, Yayasan Sarawak scholarships, and places to study in higher education institutions established by the Sarawak government.
“As for funding, the Sarawak government started to allocate RM3 million to independent high schools in 2014, and then not only gave it every year, but also increased it every year. By 2022, the annual allocation for independent high schools has reached RM10 million,” he added.
According to an online New Straits Times report, last week, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek in a written reply in Dewan Rakyat had reiterated that UEC was not the ministry’s priority.
She said the stance was based on the National Education Policy and provisions in the Education Act 1996.
Meanwhile, The Star reported the minister had said the government does not provide funding to private Chinese secondary schools as they are not considered part of the national education system and do not fall within the category of government or government-assisted schools which are provided allocations. — DayakDaily
