UEC recognition a matter of political will, not constitutionality, says SUPP youth

KUCHING (Dec 13): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to provide a clear constitutional and governance perspective on issues surrounding the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), to prevent public confusion and misunderstanding.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching Branch Youth training secretary Raphael Yong said the status of Bahasa Malaysia (BM) as the national language, as enshrined under Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, has never been and should never be disputed in any education stream or policy debate.

“The recognition of UEC does not equate to denying the status of BM, nor does it automatically render such recognition unconstitutional. The core of the UEC issue lies in the institutional recognition of educational qualifications, not in the replacement of the national language.

“In fact, UEC students are also required to study and pass the BM subject, and any form of recognition has never bypassed this requirement,” he said in a statement, in response to Anwar’s recent remarks suggesting that calls for UEC recognition may involve constitutional and national language considerations.

Yong said the seemingly contradictory positions within the federal political landscape warranted serious reflection.

He noted that when certain political parties repeatedly called for UEC recognition, Anwar had previously stated that such a move was “not acceptable”.

“Is the UEC issue constrained by the Constitution or by political will?” he asked.

Yong pointed out that Sarawak had long recognised the UEC without contravening the Federal Constitution or undermining the status of BM.

He said the state had institutionalised the UEC as a valid qualification for further studies, public service and professional development.

“This arrangement has functioned effectively for many years and has never triggered any constitutional dispute,” he stressed.

While Sarawak firmly upholds BM as the core national language and ensures its proper implementation in education and administration, Yong said the state also recognises the importance of Chinese and English education.

These languages, he added, serve as essential tools in enhancing students’ international competitiveness, technological application and knowledge exchange within a complementary multilingual framework.

“This clearly demonstrates that recognising the UEC and safeguarding the status of BM are not mutually exclusive, but can be implemented simultaneously,” he said.

Yong cautioned that labelling the UEC as “unconstitutional” without explaining Sarawak’s long-standing and successful implementation could prompt the public to question whether the real issue lay with the Constitution itself or with the federal government’s inability to reconcile internal political differences.

He said students, parents and the country’s talent pool would ultimately bear the consequences if Putrajaya remained indecisive on the matter.

“The UEC issue should no longer remain at the level of political slogans, nor should it continue to be a subject of mutual deflection within the ruling coalition.

“What Sarawak has achieved clearly proves that with strong political will and institutional capacity, the recognition of the UEC and the principles governing the national language can indeed be implemented simultaneously,” Yong added.