Muhyiddin’s office issued the denial in a statement in response to the outcry that followed Sinchew Daily’s article today quoting Muhyiddin as saying that unless Dong Jiao Zong became more amenable to government recommendations, the UEC would not be officially recognised in Malaysia, even under a PH government.
(Dong Jiao Zong collectively refers to the United Chinese School Committees Association and United Chinese School Teachers Association.)
The statement said the PPBM president had said no such thing.
It explained he had instead said that recognition for UEC needed to be considered in the context of present and future education policies, and that “‘we cannot do something that is opposite to and against national aspirations”.
“The headlines ‘Pakatan won’t recognise UEC, Muhyiddin warns’, as carried by The Star, and ‘Pakatan may not recognise UEC’, as carried by The Malay Mail, therefore, are totally misleading, mischievous and unfounded.
“This is because Muhyiddin did not issue any warning or say anything to such an effect during the interview he had with Sin Chew Jit Poh.
“Such an erroneous report will not augur well for national unity and solidarity,” said the statement.
It said China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau were also present at the interview.
Chinese educationists had earlier sprung to the defence of the UEC syllabus, which was perceived to have been under attack.
“Anyone who claims that the UEC syllabus goes against the national (education) system is spreading lies.
“The syllabus reflects Malaysia’s multicultural spirit and is in line with international standards,” said Dong Jiao Zong in a joint statement today.
DAP’s Teo Nie Ching had also expressed shock at Muhyiddin’s “awkward” remarks.
She pointed out that the Pakatan Harapan manifesto clearly stated the opposition coalition would recognise the UEC upon assuming power, “but for Muhyiddin to say that Pakatan may not recognise UEC … I don’t think he is in a position to say that”.
The UEC is a standardised examination for students of Chinese independent high schools. It is recognised as the equivalent to SPM by more than 1,000 international and local private universities.