Sha Dong Zong calls on federal, state govts to emulate Sarawak’s fair education development policies

KUCHING (July 29): The Sarawak United Association of Chinese School Boards of Management (Sha Dong Zong) has appealed to the federal government and other state governments in the country to emulate the Sarawak government’s fair education development policies.

In praising the Sarawak government’s move to grant Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders entry to state-owned tertiary institutions from 2026, Sha Dong Zong said the move signifies recognition of Chinese independent secondary schools and the equal emphasis given to vernacular schools.

“We welcome this liberal policy of the state government and highly compliment our Premier’s (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg) continued support for Chinese independent secondary schools,” Sha Dong Zong said in a statement.

“This new policy will pave way for better access to tertiary education for UEC holders so as to produce quality human capital towards realising Sarawak as a region of high income and sustainable development by 2030.”

The educational body said many UEC holders had little choice but to pursue higher studies and seek employment abroad since the Malaysian government had yet to recognise the certificate.

It pointed out that about 1,000 students from 14 Chinese independent secondary schools in Sarawak sit for the UEC annually, with 70 per cent of them opting to pursue tertiary education.

Additionally, around 60 per cent of students from the Chinese independent secondary schools also sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), with 85 per cent receiving the qualification.

“It is time for the federal government to treat all schools as equal and subsequently produce more capable individuals and talents of quality for the country,” said Sha Dong Zong.

The association said Sarawak is fortunate to be free from disputes and issues related to race and religion, which could impede the development of vernacular schools.

“Besides, Sarawak Premier has been supportive of Chinese education and this goes to reflect his fair policy in education development and respect for all types of schools,” said Sha Dong Zong.

The association further pointed out that the state government has granted annual allocations to Chinese independent secondary schools across Sarawak on top of approving extra funds for the upgrading of school buildings and facilities.

Sha Dong Zong said this had been of great help to Chinese independent secondary schools in the state since the federal government did not implement a fair distribution system of education funds for Chinese schools.

The association also opined Malaysian universities could not improve in world rankings as the government had yet to implement merit-based policies for entry into local universities.

It said if the issue is left unattended, the quality of Malaysia’s higher education would be at stake.