Shahril on UEC: Build unity, not separate tracks

Umno Youth vice-chief says the principle should be about trying to unify streams, not encouraging more diversions.

Pakatan Harapan has promised official recognition of the UEC school-leaving certificate of Chinese independent schools. (Bernama pic)

Shahril Hamdan says Umno Youth is against encouraging ‘more diversions’

PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth’s opposition to recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate is based on its divisive effects on national unity, the party wing’s vice-chief Shahril Hamdan said.

“The point is we have a unity problem in this country and the best way to address it is to maximise the probability that our children go to the same schools, study the same content, ideally in the same language, under the same system.”

However, official recognition of the UEC would be moving in the other direction, he said.

The UEC, the school-leaving certificate of independent Chinese secondary schools, is not recognised as an entry qualification to public universities and the federal public services.

The Chinese education movement, backed by DAP and other parties, seeks official recognition of the UEC, which is now under consideration by the Education Ministry. Sarawak, Melaka and Penang have provided limited recognition.

Shahril defended Umno Youth leader Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki against criticism that Umno Youth’s opposition to recognition showed that the wing was not headed in the right direction towards reforms.

“The fact of the matter is that Asyraf and Umno Youth’s rejection of UEC recognition has all to do with our concern on national unity,” said Shahril. Opposition to the recognition did not mean the wing was “backward, out of touch with the times and overly conservative” as alleged, he said.

“We’re questioning the need to elevate it to another level and further legitimising this stream of education.

“The principle should be about trying to unify streams, not encourage more diversions in the name of ‘diversity’ when we know the results are that generations of Malaysians will grow up in parallel tracks, none the more harmonious.”

Although Chinese education group Dong Zhong maintained that the UEC syllabus was based on the national curriculum, Shahril said that was beside the point.

Umno Youth recognised that the UEC was already in existence and was not suggesting that it be outlawed. Many had already made a conscious decision to go down the UEC route (for their children’s education) despite knowing the limitations.

Shahril said Umno Youth’s rejection of UEC’s recognition did not mean it was against the use of Mandarin or that the Youth wing did not recognise the importance of the language.

“Even I can speak beginner’s Mandarin and I would love to become more fluent – but learning Mandarin and recognising the UEC are two separate matters and shouldn’t be conflated.”

The UEC was created by the Chinese independent schools 45 years ago when the government assistance was stopped because the school boards would not adopt Malay as the medium of instruction as with all public schools.

Pakatan Harapan had said prior to the election that it would recognise the certificate if it came into power. -FMT