Articles

Sarawak approves UEC qualification

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Sep 29, 2016

Parents in Sarawak believe that Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) provides great opportunities for families intending to send their children to study abroad.

According to Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau chairman of the school’s board of directors at SM Wong Nai Siong Night, as many as 800 universities in the world recognize Malaysia's UEC holders, according to a report by the Borneo Post. Top universities in countries like the US, UK, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Japan recognize the certification.

UEC is primarily offered by Chinese schools and is considered equivalent to STPM/A-Levels by many universities internationally. The popularity of Chinese schools are on the rise, where 23% of Bumiputera parents in Sarawak believe that Chinese schools are a better alternative, it is very likely that the number of UEC graduates will increase throughout the coming years. Perhaps, it is time for the authorities to consider UEC in public universities and other public institutions.

Last year, Sarawak state government decided to recognize UEC qualification in a landmark policy change. The recognition covers state's civil service, universities and Foundation (Yayasan Sarawak) scholarships. The recognition comes with one condition: a credit in Bahasa Malaysia. According to the Chief Minister of Sarawak Adenan Satem, back in September of 2015, the recognition from the state government came after frustration over the time taken by the federal government in making a decision on the matter.

However, the recognition faced an unsettling opposition from the federal government. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, a public institution under the jurisdiction of the ministry of higher education, does not recognize UEC qualifications, even though the state government does.

Adenan addressed the UEC issue last year by saying that Malaysia is losing talents. Moreover, other countries are likely to take advantage of the UEC situation as they take in qualified students and utilize their abilities in areas related to advanced research. Additionally, the loss of talent can be very expensive for Malaysia as it may cause the country significant economic benefits.

Among the institutions that recognizes UEC around the world are: the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Oxford University, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong, University of Melbourne, Peking University and Kyoto University. As long as the UEC holder meets the entry requirement of a particular course at these universities, the holder can apply and seek admission.

Eventhough UEC is recognised by many countries and top universities in the world, this qualification is still struggling in Malaysia. As many professionals continue to push for the recognition, the authorities on the other hand seem to have a different  stand on the matter.