Teo Kok Seong, a principal fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies, said recognition of UEC and funding for such schools were two different issues.

“Funding which is regular and not binding can be done voluntarily under Section 16 of the Education Act 1996.

“Recognition of the UEC, which should not be given, is actually against Section 15 of the same act,” he told FMT, adding that there was no issue of putting the cart before the horse.

Annuar, who is a proponent of the UEC, had said that the government should officially recognise the exam if it wished to fund independent Chinese schools.

In a recent interview with The Malay Mail, he denied that he was rejecting either the UEC or Chinese schools, saying the matter was about consistency in the country’s education policies.

He also reiterated his support for the UEC, saying Malaysia should have no problem accepting it as it is broadly recognised in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

In the 2019 Budget, Putrajaya directly allocated RM12 million to upgrade independent Chinese schools as part of a RM652 million fund for the same purpose in 10 other school types.

This, and a later RM6 million allocation to three non-profit private colleges that cater to Chinese students, drew criticism from opposition parties which questioned the rationale and urgency in funding these institutions.

Teo said private learning institutions had been receiving funds from the government all along, including during the Barisan Nasional administration.

He said the funds were given on basis of favour, especially during election periods.

“The funds given to private learning institutions, and in this case to independent Chinese schools and non-profit private colleges that cater to Chinese students, by the present Pakatan Harapan (PH) regime under the 2019 Budget, is a more noble feat and in line with Section 16 of the act.

“This is because these Chinese educational institutions are also part of the national education system,” he said.

He also noted that funds given to private institutions are irregular in nature compared to those given to government learning institutions and government-aided institutions.

“They are not binding like those given to the other two categories, and are given more on a ‘voluntary’ basis,” he said.

He added that giving funds to such institutions through the national budget was more transparent and afforded more dignity than funds dished out during election periods.

He also reiterated his view that the UEC should not be recognised, saying Chinese independent schools which rejected the government’s offer to be part of the national education system should realise that they fall under the category of private education.

“Parents and students who choose this pathway, to be in Chinese independent schools, know very well that they are in the private category of the national education system which does not cater for their tertiary studies in Malaysian public institutions of higher learning.”

He said places in the country’s 20 public institutions of higher learning were limited and should be given to students who remain in government schools.

Recognising the UEC, he said, would be unfair to STPM students, especially those from Chinese institutions which had remained in the public education system.

The UEC, introduced more than 40 years ago, is the school-leaving certificate issued by independent Chinese schools in Malaysia.

It receives limited recognition as an entry qualification in Sarawak, Selangor and Penang but remains unrecognised at the national level as a requirement for tertiary education and public service applications.

Academic Shamsul Amri Baharuddin said the contents of the Bahasa Malaysia and History subjects must be in line with the national syllabus if the UEC is to be recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and the federal government.

“The issue of funding is a separate matter altogether. It is up to the government of the day. It is a political decision, not guided by clear academic rationale,” he told FMT.

At present, Shamsul said, the UEC was like a “political football being kicked around by two opposing teams” and their supporters.

“It reflects contemporary power relations in Malaysian politics and inter-ethnic relations.

“It is not only race and religion being bandied around for political power positioning. It is also about race and education, another contentious issue in our country,” he said.