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Friday, August 03, 2018

Not when former anti-UEC Education Minister Mahathir is now PM


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UEC recognition: An utterly egregious conversation

Pakatan Harapan has a choice to show the moral courage and political will to break with the past and return the country to genuine national integration.


By Kua Kia Soong

The pussyfooting over the recognition of the UEC which was one of the election promises of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the misrepresentation of the facts of the issue amount to an utterly egregious conversation. Why do I say this?

1. The only new factor is the PH election promise

It is clear that PH won the majority of the Chinese votes during GE14 mainly because, among others, the PH manifesto and the PH leaders pledged to recognise the UEC, the school leaving certificate of the Malaysian independent Chinese secondary schools (MICSS) that has been maligned by Umno all these years since 1975. Voters were given the impression that such recognition was part of PH’s reform in a new and inclusive Malaysia.

The UEC has been held every year since it started in 1975. Today, hundreds of foreign tertiary institutions around the world recognise the UEC and our MICSS students are found in countries all over the globe, including France, Germany and Russia.

Since the 80s, the National University of Singapore has been poaching hundreds of top UEC students not only for their academic excellence but also for their trilingual capabilities in an effort to balance the cultural mix of its Anglophile Singaporeans.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik has insisted that any decision by the government to formally recognise the UEC will only be made “after a comprehensive and holistic study on the issue has been completed… whether the formal recognition of UEC could potentially compromise unity and harmony among Malaysians… the status of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language… but no decision has been made on the matter so far”.

2. Glaring ignorance of Malaysian Chinese secondary schools

Just today, a reader in a mainstream newspaper was calling on the government not to recognise the UEC because “no public university in Malaysia is using Mandarin or Chinese as its medium of instruction”. Obviously, this reader is not aware that in many MICSS, students also sit for SPM during their fifth year of secondary education at Senior Middle 2.

I’m proud to say both my children scored Grade 1 in their SPM while they were in MICSS. What does this say about their command of the Malay language and the misleading belief that MICSS “only teach Chinese based on Taiwan and mainland China curricula”?

Furthermore, although I don’t agree with such a policy based on pedagogical principles as it puts a further burden on our students, some MICSS even make provisions for their students to sit for the Cambridge A-levels in their sixth secondary year of education at Senior Middle 3. What does this say about the encouragement not only of Malay but also of English which are compulsory subjects in MICSS? Many Malaysians may not be aware that the six-year system of secondary education in the MICSS is actually modelled after the US system of education.

When I was in charge of the campaign to gain recognition for the UEC from around the world from 1983 to 1985, the US colleges and universities were the first institutions to recognise the UEC. They did so after a thorough study of our curriculum, textbooks, examination papers and visits to our schools. And that was in the early 80s!

The National University of Singapore and other universities around the world have allowed the same accreditation of the UEC. The new education minister is only now talking about “a comprehensive and holistic study of the UEC” after opportunistically making the election promise to recognise the certificate.




3. What is there to compromise?

I was asked this question in a recent interview: “Isn’t there a way to compromise on this controversy?” Is this after a handful of Malay supremacists demonstrated against the recognition of the UEC?

The MICSS system has existed in our country for exactly 100 years. The first Chinese primary school in Malaya was founded in 1819, 200 years ago. During the independence struggle, Chinese educationist Lim Lian Geok constantly encouraged the Malay educationists to expand their secondary school system which did not receive much support from the colonial government.

At independence in 1957, Chinese and Tamil schools were part of the Malayan education system, and the government education department also set the examination papers for Chinese secondary schools. This was because Article 152 of the Federal Constitution allows the use, learning and teaching of any other language besides Malay. Furthermore, Section 3 of the 1957 Education Ordinance pledged to make the Malay language the national language of the country “while preserving and sustaining the growth of the language and culture of peoples other than Malays living in the country”.

The 1961 Education Act which embodied Umno’s “Malay Agenda” changed all that, and there were only 14 Chinese secondary schools left to fend on their own with community support. Since 1975 when the UEC was established after the MICSS were left out of the national education system, tens of thousands of UEC students have graduated from MICSS. Most have had to pursue their further studies abroad.

For decades, mother-tongue schools in this country have been treated like stepchildren in a Grimms’ fairy tale. So what is there to compromise? Like I said, the only new factor is that before GE14, PH made the election promise that if it won, it would recognise the UEC because it was supposed to be more liberal and less bigoted than Umno. How do you compromise when PH now reneges on that promise? What do these supposedly God-fearing politicians tell their children when they break promises or tell lies? How do they compromise with their children then?




fCk you guppies 

4. What will the country lose by not recognising the UEC?

Well, if the new PH government reneges on its election promise by not recognising the UEC, it will prove to the people that it is no different from the old administration dominated by Umno. Our country will remain divided if graduates from MICSS are denied the opportunity to participate in nation-building and national integration by being refused admission into our tertiary institutions, our civil and armed services and GLCs.

Isn’t it amazing that the MICSS system is frequently accused of being segregationist even though all ethnic groups are welcomed into their schools? On the other hand, Mara institutions such as UiTM flaunt their apartheid “Bumis only” policy even though they are funded by all Malaysian taxpayers. And while UEC graduates want to be part of national institutions, they are being told they cannot because their certificate is not recognised?

Recognising the UEC will help promote greater integration among Malaysians and alleviate the financial plight of MICSS graduates who cannot afford tertiary education at private colleges or abroad.

The country also loses when its restrictive policy holds back the creative development of our human resources. Since 1975, thousands of UEC graduates have left, forced to further their studies and seek employment in foreign countries. Foreign countries including Singapore and Taiwan have welcomed them. For the information of Malaysians, the inventor of the thumb drive was a graduate of the MICSS who went on to study in Taiwan.

For decades, our Umno-dominated country has told them “good riddance”. The PH coalition won so much support from the Chinese voters in GE14 because it promised a more liberal and enlightened policy including recognising the UEC without any conditions. Actually, just before GE14, even Barisan Nasional was forced to recognise the UEC with two conditions: a credit in SPM Malay and a pass in History. But that’s history…

The PH government has a choice to show the moral courage and political will to break from the years of Umno bigotry and racism and to return the country to genuine national integration, inter-cultural understanding and creative development. Otherwise, the pussyfooting and backtracking on its election promises makes this all an utterly egregious conversation indeed.

Kua Kia Soong is the adviser to Suaram.




Dr Kua Kia Song informed us that Mahathir was the man who first threatened the Chinese schools on the UEC and warned them not start this private line of educational accreditation.

31 comments:

  1. Is cheebye motherfucker uec graduate? I thought that fucking cheebye from penang free school

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did not fCk your mother so you may cease calling me motherfucker

      Delete
  2. Wakakakaka…

    What would u fart about IF mamak seceded the EM portfolio & approved UEC?

    He could also shovel the UEC down the dustpin once for all. But that chance IS very slim for an old fox!

    Right now, mamak IS the only one having the political will to do so. Not those boys/girls on learning curve.

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  3. Very simple question.
    Chinese is not the official language of Malaysia.

    Why should the government recognise a Chinese-language medium School examination certificate ?

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    Replies
    1. Moron,

      This is even simpler - English is not the official language of M'sia.

      Why SHOULD Mara specifically use English as the main medium of instruction for its courses?

      BM tak jadi ke untuk pelajar2 melayu di Mara ke?

      Which is more munafik - looking down ur own mother tongue or giving recognition to UEC that's recognized all over the world?

      Delete
    2. my simple view, as long as one pass his/her bm with credit, which is a proven fact that one do not have language deficiency pertaining to our local university medium language, i dun see any reason govt not to recognised uec or any similar certification as enrollment criteria. unless our university is very much diff with most other university in the world.

      however like i said before, if even stpm qualification face discrimination n unfairness, would uec fair any better? cis have the duty to ensure the student meet such qualification, it is up to the student if this is what they want.

      Delete
    3. https://youtu.be/FBq7DqVEZ1U

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    4. Satu bangsa satu bahasa
      Malaysia berjaya

      Delete
    5. F*ck lah! All these rd syiok-sendiri ketuanan freaks.

      Bolih ke m'sia berjaya when morons r holding the military commands,sending these soldiers to be mutilated by improvised racktag sulu invaders?

      Menang bodoh sombong!

      Delete

    6. [ We, the sons and daughters of Indonesia, declare that we belong to one nation, Indonesia. We, the sons and daughters of Indonesia, declare that we belong to one people, the Indonesian people. We, the sons and daughters of Indonesia, vow to uphold the nation’s language of unity, Indonesian.

      Indonesia’s national language policy has been effective in uniting the nation, creating a strong national identity and promoting education and literacy throughout the nation. ]

      Thus, Malaysia needs to adopt ONE language as our common language and also ONE common examination syndicate.

      Delete
    7. Sad…… this is worst than 阿Q 精神!

      "…if even stpm qualification face discrimination n unfairness, would uec fair any better? cis have the duty to ensure the student meet such qualification, it is up to the student if this is what they want."

      Now, this is what 小民的智慧 is showing its shallowness!

      Oui… can look at the source of WHY stpm qualification is been discriminated ke?

      Yr f*cked up logic is if muthu is been bashed up bcoz of his skin colour, cinabeng must also kuai2 showing his cheek for decoration by u-know-who!

      Delete
    8. Yes indeed CK.. my f*cked up logic is: If most Malaysians speak/understand chinese, then I will support UEC. Having opined that, I sincerely think I am not racist or biased.

      Delete
    9. "Thus, Malaysia needs to adopt ONE language as our common language and also ONE common examination syndicate."

      my impression is that the common language among the upper class n urban community is english, n one common examination become quite meaningless n amusing when govt created matriculation.

      Delete
    10. the success of cis is because we put in our effort and attention on education, not fighting, quarrelling n politicking. we dun have to worry abt religion, race n brainwashing.

      one cant resist english, n i believe the same will happen to chinese, so let our ah q take it course, the day will come.

      Delete
    11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftjEcrrf7r0

      We're one but we're not the same
      We get to carry each other, carry each other
      One!

      Delete
    12. So u r quoting Indonesia er!

      United Indonesia under one language?

      Moron obviously haven't been to the whole Indonesia archipelago to know how many languages/dialects Indonesians speak.

      It's a ketuanan fallacy to claim Indonesia’s national language policy has been effective in uniting the nation, creating a strong national identity and promoting education and literacy throughout the nation.

      Think Aceh, Sulawesi & W Timor.

      What's uniting the Indonesian r the Indonesian identities as detailed in the Pancasila, where common language ISNT mentioned.

      ONE language as a common national language works IFF that country is not multicultural. Looks at Canada, Switzerland & RedDot lah?

      & what the f*ck has ONE common examination syndicate got to do with unity?

      Answer my question about uitm using English as the main medium of instruction.

      Looking down on yr own mother tongue? Creating an English speaking elites to con the heartlanders? What satu bangsa r u fart about when u knowingly introduce hierarchy amongst yr own kindred?

      I sincerely think YOU ARE a racist AND biased by yr ketuanan indoctrination even towards yr own kindred!

      In true Islam - that's munafik!

      Delete
  4. This UEC subject is a big issue because it happens to be used over the decades as a big Ketuanan Melayu agenda in politics. It was all played up as a chess game between UMNO and MCA to show each to their community that they are their protectors of Language and Race for votes. And PH also jump onto the bandwagon via DAP making it as one of the promises in the manifestos. And following suit, UMNO and MCA then also put it in their manifestos to also get votes.

    Since it is an issue more of political will required and not one of meritocracy, the voters after 5 years can vote again whichever side to be the Govt. to honour and fulfill their promises.

    Just don't vote a Big Liar Politician!

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  5. I still can't fathom what the big fuss is all about over a paper qualification...if they wish to safeguard their maruah, let them, its no big loss to the holders but the refuser, after all its accepted by other academic institutions and employers

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  6. Malays feel humiliated over the years due to their lack of success even though govt. tried to help.

    The help that the govt. is doing is BLIND help. It is encouraging a parasitical mindset.

    To overcome the humiliation, the fall back position is to make oneself superior.

    Hence Ketuanan Melayu, play up the issue of Pendatangs, and the Pendatangs must be made to pay over 90% in Income Taxes to fund the Ketuanans' lifestyle.

    Even GST is a NO-NO because that means the tax base is now expanded across the board and includes the Ketuanans. Eventually no GST will be translated into higher personal income taxes for the Pendatangs to make up for the shortfall?

    All the above is not unknown to M because he was the one who pushed for extension of the NEP, Ketuanan Melayu, depriving Chinese Schools of funds, etc etc.

    There is a saying. To truly help someone, you should help the person HOW to fish. NOT to just hand out fishes for free.

    Luckily some enlightened Malays are able to see this trap. They are also able to perform successfully like in Khazanah, PNB, Petronas...BUT with the 'cut-down', sackings of these few core capable people as examples and possible Mentors, the effect is to dumb down the Malays yet again and so force back into the same old cycle of Bumiputra rights, Ketuanan Melayu, etc etc. with the same old racial tension between Malays vs Pendatangs.

    These are all designed, believe it or not, because some forces do not want the disease to be cured.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. good point on "teach you how to fish and you'll eat for a lifetime"

      the UEC issue has deliberately been politicised until some conservative Malay groups have become high agitated (even to the point of PERKASA threatening civil war)

      it's just a uni entrant qualifications the Chinese want recognition for, and not to proselytize all Malays into speaking Mandarin. If other nations accept the UEC as a credible uni entrant qualifications, why can't Malaysia?

      Well it's racialism, jealousy and deliberately politicised bullshit about one language for all, which immediately falls flat on its face because we also have English

      Delete
    2. Qui……wakakakaka

      Wordsmith, what's the difference between racialism & racism?

      Wikipedia:

      Racialism is the belief that the human species is naturally divided into races, that are ostensibly distinct biological categories. Most dictionaries define the term racialism as synonymous with racism.

      Needs re-word le!

      Delete
  7. There is a Pre-University Mara College in Banting that teaches International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in ENGLISH, and that qualification is accepted by local public universities. Ini boleh??

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  8. Let's drift away HY..

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DuboWnzTzsQ#searching

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  9. How about recognizing hudud as part of our legal system? It has been in practice long before the existance of chinese schools.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. religion is a belief system and must be an individual's choice, not a state enterprise

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    2. Hudud has been in practice long before the existance of chinese schools!!!!

      R u sure u r been taught the right Islamic history?

      Or is it the camel head tribalistic ritual u r farting about!

      Delete
    3. Hudud has been in practice under malay sultanate long before the chinese came to malaya.

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    4. Malaya was a creation of Brit colonialists - didn't exist in early sultanates - by then, brit laws

      Delete
    5. Wakakakaka…

      Banyah bagus lah, kt!

      It's better to spend some time to re-educate these rd ketuanan freaks choirboys of yrs about the real history of The Golden Chersonese or Golden Khersonese (Ancient Greek: Χρυσῆ Χερσόνησος, Chrysḗ Chersónēsos; Latin: Chersonesus Aurea).

      The Golden Peninsula, was the name used for the Malay Peninsula by Greek and Roman geographers in classical antiquity, most famously in Claudius Ptolemy's 2nd-century Geography.

      Wakakakaka…… or else their retarded brain neurons can only work backward till Malacca sultanate (∼400 yrs).

      And the bonus is u don't have to produce trashy blogs just to meet kpi le!

      Delete
  10. Let's settle this once and for all. The inventor of thumbdrive is not Malaysian. He is Singaporean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henn_Tan

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    Replies
    1. Pua Khein Seng is a Malaysian engineer who is credited with creating the pen drive, which today is known as a synonym of the USB flash drive. Just months after receiving an engineering degree from a Taiwanese university in 1999, Pua created his own enterprise, Phison, with a small team of engineering colleagues. Phison launched the pen drive in 2001.

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