DAP Youth’s executive council today said UEC recognition is constitutionally sound, adding that Pakatan Harapan should remain committed to its manifesto promise to recognise the school-leaving certificate of independent Chinese schools.
The UEC was created by the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) to provide a unified examination after these schools opted out of the national curriculum in 1961 to maintain Chinese-medium instruction.
It is not recognised for direct entry to public universities. However, it is accepted in Sabah and Sarawak for entrance to state-run universities.
In a statement, DAP Youth said the push for UEC recognition is aimed at acknowledging the certificate as an academically credible qualification with international recognition, similar to A-Levels and other international qualifications, thus enabling UEC holders to apply for admission to public universities.
It said Article 152 of the Federal Constitution not only establishes Bahasa Melayu as the national language, but also guarantees citizens the right to use their mother tongue and provides the legal basis for the development of a multi-stream education system.
DAP Youth said this also underpins the legal framework allowing Chinese independent schools to operate lawfully after independence, adding that Dong Zong supports the proposal to make passing the Bahasa Melayu subject in SPM a requirement for UEC recognition.
“This clearly shows that Dong Zong, which manages Chinese independent schools, respects the status of Malay as the national language,” DAP Youth said.
“Therefore, claims that UEC recognition challenges the position of Bahasa Melayu are untrue and purely politically motivated.”
On Friday, Anwar said advocates of other languages must remember the national language’s position in the Federal Constitution, adding that the constitution and the status of Bahasa Melayu as the national language cannot be compromised.
His remarks come after DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming said his party plans to meet with him regarding the recognition of the UEC, drawing brickbats from Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, among others.
Dong Zong: UEC recognition not unconstitutional
In a statement yesterday, Dong Zong said it has always respected Bahasa Melayu as the official language of the country and supports government policies to strengthen multilingual proficiency among the population.
Dong Zong said claims that UEC recognition conflicts with the Federal Constitution are unfounded and misleading, adding that Anwar himself publicly stated in 2018 that UEC recognition does not affect the national education policy and will not weaken the status of Bahasa Melayu as the national language.
It also noted that there had been no legal challenges on the grounds of constitutional conflict after the state governments of Sarawak and Sabah officially announced their recognition of the UEC.
“Dong Zong wishes to emphasise that the demand for UEC recognition has never conflicted with the national education policy and in no way undermines the legitimate status of Bahasa Melayu as the national language,” it said.
“Bahasa Melayu is a compulsory subject in the UEC curriculum at Chinese independent schools. Also, the pass rate of students in the Bahasa Melayu SPM subject has consistently exceeded 96% in recent years.
“It was 97.38% in 2022, 97.11% in 2023, and 96.65% in 2024.”
Dong Zong urged all parties to approach the issue with openness and mutual respect.
It said UEC recognition would advance the country’s education system to allow students from various educational streams to realise their potential, thereby contributing to Malaysia’s development.