Sarawak to Retain UP-DLP Framework, says MEITD

KUCHING (Feb 5): The State Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) has confirmed that the current framework of the Ujian Penilaian Dual Language Programme (UP-DLP) in Sarawak will be retained, despite suggestions from some quarters to review it.

MEITD said the UP-DLP Sarawak was implemented following formal approval from the federal Ministry of Education, in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which allows Sarawak to conduct state-based assessments under the DLP framework.

“The current framework will be retained, as implementation must remain within the legal framework of the Ministry of Education’s approval.

“This is also necessary to avoid confusion among teachers, students and parents, given that the existing system is already well established and generally accepted by all parties,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry highlighted that the UP-DLP marked a significant milestone in strengthening subject mastery and language proficiency among students.

Its development and implementation involved coordination among multiple stakeholders, including the federal Ministry of Education, the Sarawak State Education Department, schools and educators statewide, Swinburne Innovation Malaysia Sdn Bhd, partner institutions i-CATS University College and University of Technology Sarawak, examination and logistics agencies, as well as parents and students.

MEITD said the assessment complied fully with national examination standards, with extensive preparations including guideline development, committee establishment, examination security protocols, statewide briefings, online registration, question setting and vetting, distribution, supervision, and marking processes.

“Statewide logistics and security operations were successfully carried out, including in remote and rural areas, through strong inter-agency cooperation, with student safety and examination integrity as top priorities,” the ministry added.

A total of 29,177 Year 6 pupils from 1,050 schools throughout Sarawak sat for the first UP-DLP on Oct 15 and 16 last year.

MEITD said its successful implementation demonstrated Sarawak’s education system capability, the professionalism of educators, and student readiness for structured and standardised assessments.

The ministry reiterated that the framework would remain unchanged, while the reintroduction of centralised Year 4 assessments from this year and continuation of Form 3 assessments reinforce the role of standardised evaluations in ensuring equity, comparability, and quality nationwide.

“The successful execution of UP-DLP Sarawak demonstrates the state’s institutional readiness, technical capability, and governance maturity in administering standardised assessments within the national framework,” MEITD said.