Works Minister Fadillah Yusof said he supported the move by the education ministry and the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia, also known as Dong Zong, to conduct detailed studies leading towards full recognition status.
“The discussion has come to a stage whereby the Chinese school association has to include some syllabuses from the national type schools in their Chinese independent schools.
“The federal government will recognise UEC once this has been ironed out,” the Petra Jaya MP was quoted as saying by the Sarawak-based daily.
Fadillah, who is a vice-president with PBB, the key Barisan Nasional component in Sarawak, also believes that the government would help to unite Malaysians and promote racial integrity by according the UEC with its due recognition.
Sarawak recognises the UEC qualification. The recognition was given in 2015 by former chief minister, the late Adenan Satem, who had said that the state civil service would accept UEC as a qualification for employment, and that state foundations would also provide scholarships for students based on their UEC results.
Adenan’s successor, Abang Johari Tun Openg, has reaffirmed the state’s policy on UEC after taking office in January.
Fadillah also spoke of the federal and state governments’ commitment to provide financial assistance to Chinese schools, stressing that unity is fundamental for the betterment of the state and the country as a whole.
“Let’s work together to make sure that Sarawak and Malaysia will continue to prosper. That we will continue to live in harmony, help one another, and like what Tok Nan (Adenan) used to jest ‘cari amoi pun sama-sama’. This (unity in diversity) is our strength.”
SPM compulsory subjects
Earlier this month Dong Zong had appealed to Putrajaya to allow students from Chinese independent schools to sit for the SPM Bahasa Melayu paper only and not all six compulsory subjects.
Dong Zong chairman Vincent Lau had said by allowing UEC students to sit for the BM paper, they can be assured of entry into public universities if they pass the paper with a credit.
Students must obtain a credit in the SPM BM paper as part of the entry requirement into government universities.
“We feel this is a reasonable request. Allow the UEC students to sit only for the SPM BM paper, instead of taking all six compulsory subjects.”
The six compulsory subjects for SPM are BM, English, History, Mathematics, Moral Education or Islamic Studies, and Science.
Lau said Dong Zong has written to the education ministry, education department and higher education ministry, hoping to have discussions on this suggestion.
“So far there has been no feedback from the government,” he said, adding that Dong Zong had also requested that the government recognise the Chinese school certificate as being on par with STPM.