The Member of the Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Likas from the Warisan Party, Tham Yun Fook, criticized the policy known as “UEC + 2”, stating that it is not a success but merely a political strategy to avoid the genuine recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
Tham expressed that the authorities' reluctance to fully recognize the UEC has disappointed many parties. With the introduction of the “UEC + 2” policy allowing applications to local universities, he argued that this indicates that the issue of recognition is not being addressed genuinely, but rather as a temporary measure to sidestep the core issue.
He also highlighted the statement from the Federal Minister of Unity indicating that despite the “UEC + 2”, the Ministry of Education still does not recognize the UEC. This, he said, shows that the policy is merely aimed at avoiding the question of genuine recognition and providing a political escape route for certain parties.
Tham emphasized that although “UEC + 2” appears to be open, it actually imposes various additional requirements that undermine the qualifications that should be directly recognized. This approach does not resolve the issue of recognition but merely changes the status from “not recognized” to “conditional recognition”.
He also criticized the lack of clear and stable implementation mechanisms for this policy, as well as the absence of transparent guidelines. In his view, “UEC + 2” resembles more of a political gesture to alleviate pressure from genuine educational reforms.
Tham asserted that the Chinese independent secondary school system has produced many talents for the country and the UEC has gained international recognition. He argued that this issue is not related to academic standards but rather to political will.
He hopes that the unity government will stop the compromise approach and provide a clear answer regarding the recognition of the UEC, stressing that educational justice should not be built on additional conditions.
Tham Yun Fook emphasized that if the issue of recognition is not addressed straightforwardly, then “UEC + 2” is merely a tactic to delay the decisions needed by society.
