KOTA KINABALU: Putaran UMNO Chief Jeffrey Nor Mohame has called on the Sabah government to avoid hastily adopting the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) as a requirement for human resource matters and related fields in the state.
He said that the government needs to thoroughly examine this issue from the perspectives of the constitution, education policy, and national unity.
“Any consideration for recognising the UEC must be based on existing laws, particularly the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) and the National Language Act 1963/67.
“This is because the matter cannot be separated from the objective of building national identity,” he said in a media statement today.
He was commenting on the views expressed by Likas assemblyman, Tham Yun Fook, who is also a former senior officer in the Education Department, during the Sabah State Assembly (DUN) session that concluded yesterday.
Jeffery noted that Tham’s background in the education sector should lead to a more cautious discussion of this issue, grounded in the legal framework of the country.
He also linked the debate on the UEC to a recent incident where an assemblyman struggled to speak Malay well during an official session.
“This directly reflects a long-term weakness in the educational approach that does not prioritise the national language.
“Education policy should not only aim to produce knowledgeable students but also serve as a tool for uniting a multi-ethnic society and fostering national spirit,” he said.
He believes that the state government’s real priority should focus on fundamental education issues in Sabah, including the poor conditions of many national schools and the lack of basic facilities.
“If the foundational aspects of learning, such as infrastructure and school environment, remain problematic, discussions about certificate recognition will continue to be disconnected from the realities on the ground,” Jeffery explained.
