‘Muhyiddin stood in way of UEC recognition’

TOURISM and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said former deputy premier cum education minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was the biggest stumbling block to government recognition for the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

Speaking to Sin Chew Daily in an interview published yesterday, Nazi said: “I support government recognition for UEC, and it is not mere verbal support”.

“I met Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) leaders to identify the reasons UEC could not be recognised. After getting their acceptance to the conditions for UEC’s recognition, including a credit in (SPM) Bahasa Malaysia, I brought up the matter for discussion in the Cabinet and I had made this public through the press. But Muhyiddin objected.

“He was the biggest stumbling block. Now that he is in Pakatan Harapan (PH), he said he wants to get UEC recognised. Why hadn’t he done it when he had the power to do so as education minister?

“For them, be it Muhyiddin or (former premier Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad), to say that they want to recognise UEC, it only shows their insincerity. I have all the while been insisting that UEC be granted recognition on just one condition, a credit in Bahasa Malaysia,” he said.

Nazri stressed that he has never changed his stand on supporting government recognition for UEC, unlike Mahathir who only after joining PH vowed to recognise the Chinese education certificate should the Opposition coalition come into power, but did not do so when he was in power.

Nazri said he will strongly request the UEC be recognised as an entry qualification for Universiti P. Ramlee (formerly known as Aswara).