KUCHING - Sarawak is set to be the first state to endorse the Unified Examinations Certificate (UEC).
SUPP president Senator Prof Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian announced that Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem made the decision during a SUPP UEC Taskforce meeting yesterday which was also attended by Dong Zong president Vincent Lau.
“I am not surprised Adenan has endorsed the UEC. He has been saying it for sometime but the question has always been how do you implement UEC recognition in Sarawak when the Federal Government does not?” he said after the meeting.
The UEC is a standardised examination taken by students of all 60 Chinese independent secondary schools in Malaysia.
It is recognised by various international universities including Oxford University.
The MCA has over the years been fighting for the UEC to be recognised, with the party succeeding in enabling UEC students to apply for loans from the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN).
The Education Ministry has not recognised the UEC on the ground that it did not follow the national education system.
Dr Sim said although Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) was a federal entity, the university's Senate comprising of Sarawakians had agreed in principle for a separate quota for UEC applicants.
“Dong Zong will meet Unimas soon to iron out technical issues, the main one being the UEC scoring requirements. It's a matter of conversion. We hope this can be decided before next year's intake,” he added.
Dr Sim said UEC recognition in the University College of Technology Sarawak, and Swinburne University of Technology and Curtin University campuses – all of which the Sarawak Government has stakes in – will not be a problem.
On loans and scholarships for UEC holders, the Sarawak Foundation (Yayasan Sarawak) would assist, he added.
“The state will only require UEC applicants to score at least a credit for the SPM Bahasa Malaysia paper. This is only fair,” he said.
Board of Management for Kuching Chung Hua Middle Schools No. 1, 3 and 4 chairman Richard Wee called the decision “historic”.
“I did not expect it. It relates to Adenan saying he wants our autonomy to be recognised. Our CM is open-minded and liberal and we thank him for his progressive thinking,” he added. - ANN
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