PETALING JAYA: Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) graduates who wish to enter Malaysian public universities must meet two specific Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) requirements: at least a credit in Bahasa Melayu and a pass in History, says Anthony Loke (pic).
However, the DAP secretary -general clarified that there is no policy requiring all students to sit for the SPM.
“Not every student is required to take SPM. For example, UEC students have traditionally sat for the Unified Examination and, in practice, about 80% also take SPM.
“If a UEC student does not plan to apply to a local public university, there is no requirement to take these SPM subjects,” he said after presenting allocations to Chinese independent secondary schools at SM Pay Fong, Melaka, yesterday.
Loke added that academically, the UEC is considered equivalent to Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia or A-Levels, and graduates meeting these standards are eligible for university admission.
For entry into the civil service, the primary requirement is a university degree, not the UEC itself.
On the SPM subjects, Loke noted that the Bahasa Melayu and History requirements are aligned with the SPM system.
He said the Education Ministry is exploring a way for students to take only these two subjects without sitting for all six SPM papers – a modification currently under review.
“The Education Ministry said it would hold discussions with the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) tomorrow to clarify the details,” he added.
He said this issue is not unique to UEC students, as some 400,000 students from private religious schools face similar challenges.
This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement that students from UEC, independent and international schools would be required to sit for Bahasa Melayu and History at the SPM level under the National Education Development Plan 2026–2035.
