No plans to recognise UEC, says minister

March 2, 2023

PETALING JAYA: The education ministry does not plan to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), says its minister, Fadhlina Sidek.

Education minister Fadhlina Sidek says this stand is based on the National Education Policy and Education Act 1996. (Bernama pic)

In a brief written parliamentary reply today, Fadhlina said this stand was based on the National Education Policy, and the Education Act 1996.

In July last year, her predecessor, Radzi Jidin, had also said the ministry did not plan to recognise the school-leaving examination for Chinese-medium high schools.

Recognising the UEC was among the key pledges in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto for the 15th general election.

The coalition promised to make public higher education institutions recognise the UEC, on the condition that applicants had at least a credit for the Bahasa Melayu paper in their SPM examination.

Fadhlina was replying to Sabri Azit (PN-Jerai), who asked for the ministry’s stand on recognising the UEC.

When PH was in government, it formed a task force to gather views on recognising the UEC, which was also among the coalition’s election pledges in 2018.

Led by sociologist Eddin Khoo, the task force included then Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) president Raimi Abdul Rahim and then Dong Zong deputy president Tan Yew Sing.

However, its work ceased after the change of government in 2020, though the task force had completed a report.