Sabah govt fine-tuning UEC Scholarship Scheme, says minister

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 31): The state government is in the process of refining the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) Scholarship Scheme, said Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk James Ratib.

James said that the state government would coordinate and enhance the scheme to broaden its benefits to more eligible students.

“The Sabah Government places great importance on access to higher education and the development of UEC students.

“We will continue to work closely with the Chinese Independent Schools Board to secure stronger policy support and more comprehensive educational resources for students,” he said.

He said this following a courtesy call by a delegation from the Sabah Chinese Independent Schools Board of Directors Association (Sabah Dong Zong) led by its chairman Datuk Au Kam Wah.

The meeting focused on the application mechanism for the scheme, evaluation standards, and related support measures for strengthening access for students from Sabah’s Chinese independent schools to higher education opportunities.

During a presentation session, SM Tshung Tsin Sabah principal Dr Chung Chin Hing outlined the background and achievements of UEC education in Sabah.

He noted that over the past decade, candidates from Chinese independent schools in Sabah consistently recorded excellent results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, with annual average pass rates exceeding 90 per cent.

“The strong performance reflects the robustness of the Chinese independent school education system, particularly in terms of academic quality and holistic student development.

“Chinese independent schools in Sabah possess unique characteristics compared to those in the Peninsula, and under Sabah Dong Zong regulations, students are required to sit for the SPM examination before taking the UEC — producing graduates with dual qualifications that enhance their competitiveness in higher education and the job market,” he said.

Meanwhile, Au thanked the ministry for its commitment and reaffirmed that the board would continue to work actively with the state government to advance high-quality Chinese independent school education and nurture more competitive talent for Sabah.