State deputy education minister Dr Annuar Rapaee said the Sarawak government had always been appreciative of talent.

“It would be a waste of human capital if we do not recognise the UEC,” he told FMT, adding that the state provided grants of up to RM10 million a year to independent Chinese schools.

Sarawak has recognised the UEC since 2014, allowing holders of the certificate to work in the state civil service and apply for scholarships from Yayasan Sarawak and for entry into the state-owned University of Technology Sarawak.

Federal education minister Radzi Jidin recently said his ministry had no plans to recognise the UEC as it went against the National Education Policy.

Annuar said the world was now borderless and the government should not restrict anyone from acquiring the education of his or her choice.

“Education should be progressive and allow for better and more diverse human capital,” he said.

“Freedom of education is as important as freedom of speech in a democratic country.”

He also said Putrajaya should “seriously consider” decentralising education, adding: “Let state governments decide what is best for their states based on their needs. The federal government’s role should be more towards financially supporting state governments in education matters.”

Aside from its recognition of the UEC, the Sarawak government is aggressively pursuing mastery of English.

Early this month, Annuar said the state government was going all out to ensure its students were well-versed in English so that they could excel in their studies and have a bright future.