Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Why Is It Hard To Recognize UEC?

Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib was reported that he will organize a discussion with Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry to settle the issue of recognizing  United Examination Certificate (UEC) as demanded by Chinese extremist NGO, Dong Zong.
Dong Zong is considered as a group of extremists because they have been working hard in denying all efforts to unite Malaysians or to 'Malaysianize' rakyat through the same education system as well as through one language. This is because every demand Dong Zong make would always revolve around racial segregation in school as well as empowering Chinese mother tongue and at the same time, ignores the National Language.
Thus, the Prime Minister's willingness to spend some of his time for these extremists, should be appreciated by Dong Zong. We hope that the Prime Minister's sincere effort in wanting to solve this issue would not be seen as government's weakness in facing  this  racists, kiasu and arrogant group.
UEC issue is an issue which is more than just education and learning. It is the matter of identity, unity, and nationalism for Malaysians.
What we see, until now, there is still no evidence showing that Vernacular Schools nor the demand to recognize UEC could bring any benefit to rakyat and the country in any way. It only opens more racial gap, giving space for prejudice and racism.
This could also lead to job issues for Bumiputera as most job opportunities would require fluency in Mandarin, without even considering for the focus on qualification.
It is impossible to settle this matter without putting aside racism motive. That is why, to be fair, this issue should be studied from the angle of history.
Vernacular school was first allowed so that the Chinese would support the efforts of Independence and they will be given citizenship. The Chinese back then still love their country of origin and they did hope that they could go back there once they have enough money and asset to do so. That is why, they were worried that their culture might have been lost if their children were to be in school with Bumiputera children, which would definitely cause a bit of an issue once they travel back to their country.
Believing that they will only be in Malaysia for a short period of time, the government allowed Vernacular School to continue.
However, the Chinese found that Malaysia is too 'precious' for them to leave but at the same time they refuse to 'cut off' their loyalty to their country of origin. So, they kept on fighting for Vernacular School without considering the spirit of tolerance, reality nor rationality as citizens of this country.
Their fight is just based on the spirit of kiasu and racism.
Not just that they want to have separate school from other races and wanting to use their mother tongue as main language, they were even given the rights where the level the National Language (Bahasa Melayu) subject, was lowered to enable their children gain great results in this subject, now they are demanding that government should recognize UEC for public universities.
The UEC is available in three levels: Vocational Unified Exam (UEC-V), UEC Junior Middle Level (UEC-JML/JUEC) and Senior Middle Level (UEC-SML/SUEC) where all uses Mandarin language. The UEC-SML has questions for mathematics, sciences (biology, chemistry and physics), bookkeeping, accounting and commerce.
Dong Zong's argument stated that UEC is recognised as an entrance qualification in many tertiary educational institutions internationally, including those in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China and some European countries, and that Malaysian government should recognize it as well.
Clearly, Dong Zong is made their point as migrants.
Most universities anywhere would definitely offer the chance to any foreign students and accept them based on their quality without considering their country's education system. How can a university set education system for foreign students.
However, the problem here is, UEC involves Malaysians who want to study at Malaysian public universities, not foreign countries.
So, would it be wrong for the government to set the requirements that Malaysians who qualifies to study in Malaysian public universities should have fluency in the National Language? How hard can that be? Are the Chinese that stupid that they are not able to understand the Natinal language after all these years?
How can Dong Zong demand for such facility if they cannot even understand the National Language?
Do they think that all they should do is just make more and more demands to the government and at the same time refuse to back down even a little to give room for practicality, reality and rationality in their actions?
Not just that, Dong Zong even try to make it look like whoever reject their demands, those are the ones who are racist.
It seems like it is time for Dong Zong to reflect themselves and see who is the real racist? The ones who demand for union, identity and nationalism, and who is the one against it?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Agreed!

Plus, Dong Zhong MUST understand that UEC examination board use Mandarin language as intermediate language. This contradict with MOE's "Dasar Pendidikan Kebangsaan" in which try to empower Bahasa Malaysia as National language. This also directly related with Malaysia Constitutional, to ensure Bahasa Malaysia as Main language among Malaysian (you know, this bahasa also will become a tool to unify all races in malaysia).

Go 'Tukar' your intermediate language first, then MOE will reconsider to recognize UEC.