Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob refuted claims by suspended Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairperson Annuar Musa, that he was suspended for his support for the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
"It is nothing to do with UEC.
"He was rested while an internal audit committee and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Committee investigated the sponsorship of Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Permodalan Mara Bhd to TRW Sdn Bhd," Ismail told Malaysiakini.
Both the university and Mara investment arm had sponsored the Kelantan Red Warriors football team via the company TRW Sdn Bhd, which is linked to Annuar, who was previously in charge of the football team.
Ismail was responding to the claims made by the Umno information chief, in an interview with Sin Chew Daily yesterday, that he was a victim of a party feud and his support for UEC.
Annuar (photo) believes that this was the main reason for his suspension as Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairperson and not for his role in Universiti Kuala Lumpur's (UniKL) sponsorship of Kelantan Red Warriors Football team.
In the interview, Annuar stressed that the Chinese-medium schools were not unconstitutional but the major sore point for Putrajaya was UEC's syllabus for Malay and History.
This matter is currently being discussed between the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) and the Education Ministry, he said.
Regardless of the facts, Annuar said his stance on UEC was now being used against him by rivals within the party.
"There are those in the party who are uncomfortable with my views on government recognition for UEC, and other issues, including UniKL's acceptance of UEC.
"Because of this, there are those who want to undermine me and ensure that I'm unable to survive politically," Annuar said.
He claimed that 10 days prior to his suspension, he had received threats through an Umno WhatsApp group and "dirty" messages condemning him.
"Some people think I'm trying to undermine them. Some people think that I did not seek their views before making certain decisions. Some people think I'm trying to replace them," Annuar said.
The UEC examination is governed by Dong Zong and is considered a British A-level equivalent.
It is the highest qualification awarded by Chinese-medium private schools in Malaysia and is widely accepted by universities worldwide, but not by the Malaysian government.
In January, Ismail, whose portfolio included Mara, disputed Annuar's widely-publicised claim that UniKL recognised UEC.- Mkini
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