The Malaysian Insight

THE panel reviewing the controversial Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) will not reveal its conclusions until meeting with and handing over the report to acting Education Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

UEC special review committee chairman Eddin Khoo told The Malaysian Insight it cannot make its findings public before the meeting.

“We need to follow procedures. We cannot go to the media before we even met with the prime minister.

“So, now we are waiting for the prime minister’s feedback to set a date for the meeting.”

Committee member Tan Yew Sing last week told the press the committee would publish the report and hand it to the Education Ministry once it’s ready.

“We will hand it to Dr Mahathir or to the new education minister and let the ministry decide because we were appointed by the ministry,” Tan said.

Recognition of the UEC is a key Pakatan Harapan election pledge for the Chinese community, which is keeping a close eye on whether the government will recognise the qualification for Chinese independent high schools.

In an interview with Oriental Daily News published yesterday, DAP deputy secretary-general Nga Kor Ming said the party has failed to communicate itself to its core constituents, including seeking government recognition of the UEC.

The article in Chinese, which was translated by news portal Malaysiakini, quoted Nga as saying DAP will pursue key issues in the cabinet and will not hesitate to forego being in government if it fails.

“Just like the UEC issue, the DAP ministers were never silent. We chose to fight for it through the cabinet, not take it to the media.

“We have even reached a consensus – if the UEC is not recognised, DAP will not hesitate to withdraw itself from the government,” Nga was quoted as saying.

However, hours after the article was published, Nga tweeted that the report was highly misleading.

He said that Malaysiakini did not interview him, merely taking portions of the interview.

Nga added that he complained to Malaysiakini editors and asked them to rectify the error.

Sarawak became the first state to recognise the UEC in 2015, which means those holding the certificate can work in the state’s civil service and study at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

Penang, Selangor and Malacca have since also recognised the qualification.

Shortly after PH was elected in the 14th general election in 2018, the Education Ministry announced it would set up the UEC special review committee in September that year.

The committee consists of Khoo, Tan, who is also deputy president of Chinese education group Dong Zong, and Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) central committee member Mohamad Raimi Ab Rahim.

Its task was to have presented its report to the cabinet in July last year.

However, this was delayed to August, then September, and postponed again to October.

The report had yet to be presented to the cabinet by the end of 2019.

However, Khoo in previous interviews said the committee had an enormous task as the stakeholder consultation sessions with civil society, youths, political parties, universities and state representatives have revealed many diverse views.

He said the UEC could not be discussed separately from the national education system, about which many parties have expressed concerns.

Government recognition of the UEC has been a controversial topic for years, as part of the larger hot-potato subject of Chinese vernacular education.

Pro-Malay groups oppose Chinese vernacular education on grounds that Bahasa Melayu is the national language, while other critics question vernacular education’s relevance building racial harmony.

However, Chinese schools attract a significant number of non-Chinese pupils.

In 2016, non-Chinese formed about 18% of the population in Chinese schools, according to Education Ministry statistics.

Dr Mahathir is currently acting education minister after Maszlee Malik resigned from the post on January 3. – January 30, 2020.