PUTRAJAYA, May 21 – The United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) must be “prepared to make changes” and meet conditions set by the Ministry of Education if the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) is to be recognised, the government said today.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (picture) revealed that the bilateral talks on Dong Zong’s push for recognition of the UEC have not progressed as the association has not declared its willingness to agree to the conditions as yet.
“Any parties that want recognition must be ready to make some changes that is in sync with the existing laws and policies on education.
“The government at this level has not decided on the matter because on the Dong Zong side, as an example, it has yet to make any changes,’’ the deputy prime minister said today.
Putrajaya’s hardball stance is in contrast to charm campaign it rolled in the run-up to polls. Since elections, there have been calls within Umno and Malay newspapers for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to be less accommodating with Chinese community.
“On our side if they are ready to make the changes then we have no problem,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Education here.
Just before Election 2013 was held, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had convened a meeting with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education to find a solution that will be acceptable to all on the recognition of UEC to enter local public higher learning institutions (IPTA).
Putrajaya and Dong Zong subsequently issued a statement that the meeting had, among others, discussed on the issue concerning the recognition of the UEC which relates to applications for entering IPTA.
There was a discussion on requirement of students from Chinese medium schools to have at least a credit in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Bahasa Malaysia paper along with the UEC, as a condition for applying to IPTA.
“There was also discussion on the issue of accreditation to the UEC Bahasa Malaysia subject,” it said.
Najib became the first prime minister to have met Dong Zong since it was established 59 years ago.
The prime minister’s bid to court the Chinese vote came after Dong Zong organised two rallies last year to protest against the National Education Blueprint (NEB) and the lack of Chinese school teachers.
Analysts said the move was clearly aimed at drumming up support in the run up to the May 5 polls although it made little impact as majority of the Chinese electorate voted against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
Although education is a sensitive issue among the Chinese, endemic corruption and racism took precedent and were major factors behind the demographic’s polls rejection towards BN, surveys had shown.
A major swing in Chinese and urban Malay support towards the opposition saw Najib’s coalition doing poorly in the just concluded general election.
BN had managed to retain power with only 133 federal seats or seven less than what it snagged in Election 2008 while it lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969.
The ruling coalition has since tried to pin the blame on the polls outcome on what it termed as a “Chinese tsunami” despite data showing a significant shift in urban Malay support towards the opposition.
Source : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/putrajaya-tells-dong-zong-to-adapt-for-uec-approval
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (picture) revealed that the bilateral talks on Dong Zong’s push for recognition of the UEC have not progressed as the association has not declared its willingness to agree to the conditions as yet.
“Any parties that want recognition must be ready to make some changes that is in sync with the existing laws and policies on education.
“The government at this level has not decided on the matter because on the Dong Zong side, as an example, it has yet to make any changes,’’ the deputy prime minister said today.
Putrajaya’s hardball stance is in contrast to charm campaign it rolled in the run-up to polls. Since elections, there have been calls within Umno and Malay newspapers for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to be less accommodating with Chinese community.
“On our side if they are ready to make the changes then we have no problem,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Education here.
Just before Election 2013 was held, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had convened a meeting with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education to find a solution that will be acceptable to all on the recognition of UEC to enter local public higher learning institutions (IPTA).
Putrajaya and Dong Zong subsequently issued a statement that the meeting had, among others, discussed on the issue concerning the recognition of the UEC which relates to applications for entering IPTA.
There was a discussion on requirement of students from Chinese medium schools to have at least a credit in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Bahasa Malaysia paper along with the UEC, as a condition for applying to IPTA.
“There was also discussion on the issue of accreditation to the UEC Bahasa Malaysia subject,” it said.
Najib became the first prime minister to have met Dong Zong since it was established 59 years ago.
The prime minister’s bid to court the Chinese vote came after Dong Zong organised two rallies last year to protest against the National Education Blueprint (NEB) and the lack of Chinese school teachers.
Analysts said the move was clearly aimed at drumming up support in the run up to the May 5 polls although it made little impact as majority of the Chinese electorate voted against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
Although education is a sensitive issue among the Chinese, endemic corruption and racism took precedent and were major factors behind the demographic’s polls rejection towards BN, surveys had shown.
A major swing in Chinese and urban Malay support towards the opposition saw Najib’s coalition doing poorly in the just concluded general election.
BN had managed to retain power with only 133 federal seats or seven less than what it snagged in Election 2008 while it lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969.
The ruling coalition has since tried to pin the blame on the polls outcome on what it termed as a “Chinese tsunami” despite data showing a significant shift in urban Malay support towards the opposition.
Source : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/putrajaya-tells-dong-zong-to-adapt-for-uec-approval
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