JOHOR BARU: The Madani government has merely provided a limited pathway into a handful of public universities rather than genuinely recognising the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), says Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
The former MCA president downplayed any portrayal of this move as good news, saying the announcement was misleading.
"UEC holders are only allowed into four specific courses, all of which themed around Chinese linguistics.
"They are just providing limited access, which does not equate to the actual recognition of the UEC. There is nothing earthshaking about this," he said, adding that discerning citizens would easily see through the "bad packaging" of the announcement.
Dr Chua said UEC holders must still secure a credit in Bahasa Melayu and a pass in History.
"Even after meeting these criteria, they are restricted to Chinese studies instead of critical, high-demand fields such as medicine and accounting," he noted.
Dr Chua also highlighted systemic challenges in education that continue to affect the community, particularly when top-performing Chinese students fail to secure placements in public universities.
He said when such cases arise, students and their families still turn to MCA, which routinely steps in to negotiate with the Higher Education Ministry to resolve appeals.
He also slammed DAP leaders for claiming credit for policies such as scholarships for top-performing Chinese students and the reservation of university placements for top Matriculation students, which were hard-fought victories achieved by MCA.
He said financial allocations for Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) were also due to MCA's persistent, long-term efforts.
"This mechanism was established 30 years ago. It is not an achievement by DAP," he added.
