PUTRAJAYA: The recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) is not viewed in isolation but as part of a comprehensive approach involving the entire national education ecosystem.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said this includes international schools, religious schools, Arab schools, and other education systems that are not based on the national curriculum.
He said that the government’s first step is to ensure all these education systems meet basic prerequisites, particularly the teaching of Bahasa Melayu and History according to the national curriculum, before any further decisions on entry into public universities are made.
“This requirement is not only applicable to UEC, it also involves all institutions outside the national education system,” he said during a press conference after the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2026-2035 on Tuesday (Jan 20).
He was responding to a question on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that Bahasa Melayu and History were compulsory for all students in Malaysia, including religious schools, international institutions and those offering the UEC.
He also said the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry would coordinate to ensure alignment across all education systems before finalising further steps.
“You cannot solve the problem of just one community while the issues of other communities remain unaddressed.
“That is why we need to find an approach.
“We will talk, and then from there we will get the next perspective,” he said.
