Recognising UEC may cost Pakatan GE15, Ibrahim Ali says

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Outgoing Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali warned Pakatan Harapan (PH) today that it could lose the next general election if it recognised the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Chinese independent schools.

In a press conference today, Ibrahim claimed that the move would also create racial tensions, as the syllabus and school-leaving certificate in Chinese independent secondary schools, whose medium of instruction is Chinese, purportedly did not conform with the National Education Policy.

“This is not about race, not racist, but this is an issue which everyone knows. That the UEC is based on the Taiwanese examination system.

“Even before this, the Barisan Nasional (BN) wanted to recognise it, but with the condition that the students have to pass Bahasa Malaysia at SPM level,” he said, referring to the Form Five Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia public examination.

The head of the Malay rights group said that Malays will feel threatened, as they will perceive PH as giving in to the needs of the ethnic Chinese.

“Recently the BN government lost because of living cost. Later in the next election, we see. The people will make decision the other way then. So the protest will come from the ballot box.

“Whatever they want to do, it cannot undermine the basic things which have been stated in the constitution. This is important,” the former Pasir Mas MP added.

He also criticised Malay leaders in PH, labelling them as “stinky durian” and lacking ‘dignity”, should they support the recognition of UEC.

“No national identity, no patriotism. You may be highly educated, but unable to defend the important basics of a nation,” Ibrahim added.

Earlier today, the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) and United Chinese School Teachers’ Association of Malaysia (Jiao Zong) denied claims that the UEC syllabus was imported from Taiwan.

They said the UEC syllabus was drafted based on the national education curriculum standards of Malaysia’s Education Ministry.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik yesterday said that the PH government will stick to its manifesto and recognise UEC as a legitimate entry requirement into public universities.

There are 61 Chinese independent secondary schools in the country, with over 20 of them in East Malaysia.

The UEC is recognised in Singapore, but it has limited recognition in Sarawak, Selangor and Penang.