Task force consulted MCA on UEC, says Wee

Dr Wee questioned the contradictory statements on the Istanbul trip.

PETALING JAYA: MCA was consulted regarding the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) by the task force formed to study the matter.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said he was invited on behalf of MCA to share his views on the issue and the challenges they faced to get it recognised.

“I spent about two hours with them, telling them our stand and also the challenges that they have to face and the resistance from various quarters,” he said when contacted.

Now part of the opposition, Dr Wee added that he also spoke to the task force about the possible objections they would encounter.

He said MCA faced a lot of challenges when they were working on getting the UEC recognised as an entry requirement to public institutions of higher education.

However, Dr Wee said the UEC was accepted for entry into Institutes of Teacher Education (IPG) since 2011.

“It was a good sharing session,” he said, adding that they listened to his feedback.

“There were questions from them asking for my input and I told them frankly exactly how I feel and how I see it,” he said.

Dr Wee, who has held the deputy education minister post in the past, said MCA was one of over 40 parties that engaged with the task force.

“I presented my case and they said they have spoken to various quarters with some saying yes and saying no,” he said.

He said that the task force, which was formed last October, would be collecting more information and feedback before submitting the full report to Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik in July.

“Of course, as they (Pakatan Harapan) originally said it (recognising the UEC) would be immediate but this was not the case,” he added.

Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching had previously targeted the end of last year for the UEC recognition, while Maszlee later said it would be done within five years.