KUCHING: The recognition of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) will boost Malaysia’s human capital and diplomatic ties with other countries.
In pointing this out, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chief Sim Kiang Chiok said Sarawak recognised UEC because it helped to stop brain drain.
“Most international universities recognise UEC and have even given scholarships to our top UEC students to further their studies at tertiary level in their countries.
“The state’s recognition of UEC helps to retain them to study at local universities with students’ loans or grants borne by the state government.
“Apart from that, our civil service will employ those with UEC qualifications. It has actively recruited these graduates since 2015,” he said in a statement today.
Sim said the Sarawak government acknowledged the importance of education in Mandarin.
“We need to have good Sarawakians with good command in Mandarin in dealing with China … that will give us a greater advantage when we trade with it.
“Now, China is the second economic power house after the United States and will be taking the top position soon according to some economists,” he said.
Sim added that with the recognition of UEC, the state government is giving parents and their children more choices in education.
“The state government also supported the local independent Chinese secondary schools by providing RM4 million grant in 2015.
“The latest grant stands at RM9 million for this year,” he disclosed.
Sim also pointed out that diversity in education was an asset in human capital and that companies are most likely to recruit multilingual candidates.
“This is because we want to be able to deal with all the important countries in the world, be it in English, Mandarin or Bahasa Malaysia,” he said.
He also took a jab at the previous Pakatan Harapan federal government that renegaded on its promise to recognise UEC.
He hoped that the new Perikatan Nasional federal government would eventually recognise UEC after it had settled down.
He hoped all the respective parties would work together on giving the children another choice in education for the betterment of all Malaysians.
“Mandarin education is a necessity in our human capital now and political consideration should not set our country behind in this area,” he said.
Sim was responding to a recent statement by the Prime Minister’s Office which clarified that the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had never said that the government would recognise UEC.
