KUCHING, July 4: DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak publicity secretary Abdul Aziz Isa says it is high time Putrajaya recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
“It is essential to recognise UEC as it will place all Malaysian students on equal terms. Regardless of their educational background, all Malaysian students should be eligible to receive tertiary education in public universities on an equal footing and treatment.
“Every Malaysian student should have a fair chance to be employed as public servants, too” argued Abdul Aziz in a statement today.
He said the UEC had proven to be of a higher standard than Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) as more than 400 renowned universities globally recognised the UEC, but not necessarily SPM.
There are 60 Chinese independent high schools in the country, and UEC holders who want to enter public universities have to sit for six major papers in the SPM examination: BM, English, History, Mathematics, Moral Education and Islamic Studies.
“I suggest the federal government allow UEC holders to sit for only the BM paper, instead of all six papers, to be qualified to enter public universities,” said Abdul Aziz.
He noted that there had been a lot of discussions between United Chinese School Committees’ Association (Dong Zong) and the Ministry of Education over the years, and Dong Zong had already expressed its willingness to accept the condition stipulated by the Ministry, which is for UEC holders to have a credit in BM at the SPM level.
“The Sarawak government recognises the UEC, and by so doing, the state had set a paradigm for the success of inclusivity in diversity. That is why I see no reason why the federal government cannot follow in the footsteps of the Sarawak government,” he said.
He said calls to recognise the UEC were featured in practically every general election since 1986, and the reasons given by the then BN government for not recognising the UEC had only gotten more and more bizarre along the way.
Among others, the then BN government claimed the UEC’s curriculum was not up to mark or that it was not based on the national curriculum and education philosophy or that it posed a threat to national sovereignty.
“Since the Pakatan Harapan government upholds the value of diversity and inclusiveness, it is time that the new government recognise UEC to build a more diverse and inclusive society,” said Abdul Aziz. — DayakDaily
