Lau (seventh right) presents a souvenir to Teo while delegates from Dong Zong look on.
KOTA KINABALU: Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang said he looked forward to seeing Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) recognition not only in Sabah and Sarawak, but also for the whole of Malaysia as well.
Teo said he would utilise proper Barisan Nasional (BN) channels to follow up with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on nationwide recognition for UEC.
“If both the East Malaysian states recognise UEC, perhaps the West Malaysian states will consider to follow suit,” he said when meeting delegates from the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), led by chairman Datuk Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming, and Sabah Dong Zong headed by Tan Sri Andrew Liew Sui Fatt.
The national Dong Zong delegates who were also present included secretary-general Poh Chin Chuan, treasurer Teow Kim Siong, assistant treasurer Ch’ng Chuwn Leong, central committee member cum Sabah Dong Zong deputy chairman Datuk Chu Fui Khin, chief executive officer Hong Woan Ying and director of Organisation Affairs and Information Department, Lim Kee Song.
Teo said he was pleased to learn that the Sarawak State Government had recognised UEC and had appointed the
state secretary of Sarawak to study the details which would be announced at a later date.
He said Sabah was looking into this matter and he was appointed to compile a report on the standard of UEC examination, level of recognition of UEC and overview of Chinese independent schools nationwide.
Teo said he would brief Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman on the UEC report and hoped that it would be brought to the State Cabinet for further discussion.
“I hope Sabah will be the second state in Malaysia to grant recognition to UEC.”
Teo was formerly a Chinese independent school student, who graduated from Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School in 1987.
He explained to the delegates that the nine independent schools in Sabah were different from that in Sarawak and West Malaysia because they adopted double-stream education system, whereby students sat for both the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) examinations.
Furthermore, Teo said the independent schools here placed equal emphasis on the teaching and learning of the three main languages, namely Chinese, Malay and English.
“This is an advantage for UEC holders in Sabah because they will have no problem furthering their studies in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Western countries due to their strong command of the three languages.”
Teo reiterated that he had pursued UEC recognition during the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) congress last year, which was officiated Najib.
“I have given real examples of my niece and nephew who went into first year of undergraduate study in architecture course at RMIT University and medicine course at Melbourne University with UEC.”
Teo, who is also the president of Liberal Democractic Party (LDP), said more than 80 universities out of the top 200 universities in the world recognised UEC and allowed the certificate holders to enter the first year of undergraduate study, including Oxford University and Cambridge University.
He said while pursuing the State Government to recognise UEC, he would also pursue full recognition for the certificate nationwide.
“We hope not only the two East Malaysian states will recognise UEC. We aim to pursue nationwide recognition of UEC,” he said.
Also present were political secretary to the Minister of Special Tasks Peter Chong, liaison secretary to the minister
Albert Kok, Sabah Dong Zong secretary- general Chieng Kiu Sii, treasurer Datuk Mary Ling and committee members Tan Hong Ngiap and Lim Young Peing.