Lau: Fed govt urged to provide fair treatment to Chinese education
KUCHING: The newly formed unity federal government should provide fair treatment towards the development of Chinese education in the country, particularly on recognising Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), said Sarawak United Association of Chinese School Boards of Management chairman Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau.
Lau said Chinese education has played an instrumental role over the decades in developing talented human capital for the country.
“We hope the unity government can seriously look into the issue of recognising UEC, as the component parties forming the federal government seem to be more receptive towards the recognition of the certificate,” he said during a Lunar New Year luncheon with media outlets under See Hua Group at KTS Garden restaurant yesterday.
Lau further opined the recognition of UEC has seemingly been turned into political agenda recently, instead of assessing the practicality of recognising the certificate based on its merits.
The association chairman said some politicians had even recently claimed that the priority now should be getting the country’s economy back on track before considering the recognition of UEC.
“I find this argument to be not acceptable because the recovery of the country’s economy and the recognition of UEC are two completely different issues. That’s why I see it as an excuse and a delay tactic to not recognising the certificate.”
Previously during the Pakatan Harapan government, Lau lamented, the then Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik had set up a three-member committee to compile a report related to the recognition of UEC but the report was never submitted after the government collapsed.
In view of that, Lau foresees the development of Chinese education in the years ahead will be as challenging as the previous years.
“Some of the issues and challenges we encountered in the previous years remain unresolved till today. A lot of efforts are still depending on Chinese associations and other organisations to engage with the government to seek a solution.”
Nonetheless, he hoped the goal for UEC to be recognised will be realised one day, to allow students from Chinese independent middle schools to pursue their tertiary education in public universities.
Lau also expressed relief that UEC was already recognised by the state government during the administration of the late chief minister Pehin Seri Adenan Satem.
Among those present at the luncheon were the association’s deputy chairman Datuk Pau Chiong Ung, secretary-general Dato Jonathan Chai, chief executive officer Hong Woan Ying, See Hua Daily News regional manager Chia Chiew Boon and editor Than Lee Sen.