SHAH ALAM – The Higher Education Ministry’s decision on the admission of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders into public universities and higher education institutions, also known as IPTA (Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam), is not a blanket "open-door" recognition as claimed by certain parties.
Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Information Chief Danish Hairudin said this reality is being intentionally concealed by several political leaders who are playing up sentiments, accusing the government of betraying the national education system.
"The government's decision today is highly limited, strictly controlled and still imposes stringent conditions on UEC holders. They must pass Bahasa Melayu and History under the Malaysian Examination Board.
"They cannot simply enter any IPTA course they like, such as Medicine or Engineering. Instead, this pathway is strictly restricted to specific programmes, such as Chinese Language Studies, Chinese Linguistics, and fields related to mother-tongue languages," he said in a statement on Facebook on Friday.
Danish said this in response to statements made by Pas Information Chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari and Umno Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, both of whom criticised the Cabinet’s decision to open opportunities for tahfiz (religious school) and UEC school leavers to pursue identified programmes at IPTAs.
Ahmad Fadhli had claimed that the government's announcement regarding tahfiz leavers was merely a "magic trick" designed to camouflage its true agenda of recognising the UEC.
Meanwhile, Dr Akmal asserted that admission to public universities must strictly require Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualifications, with no exemptions given to any stream, including UEC and tahfiz.
He maintained that all students wishing to pursue higher education at IPTAs must sit for the SPM examinations, in line with the established national education policy.
Commenting further, Danish stressed that admission to IPTAs is still entirely subject to merit, university requirements and the approval of the university senate.
"So, where is this 'betrayal' they are trying to portray? I would also like to remind Ahmad Fadhli and Akmal Saleh not to twist facts just for cheap political mileage, causing unnecessary fear among the public.
"Today's public is smarter. They can differentiate between facts and propaganda. They can see who truly wants to resolve issues rationally, and who is just fishing for political hatred. If you want to talk about principles, start by looking into your own manifestos first," he said.
Danish also questioned the reactions of Fadhli and Dr Akmal, who appeared shocked by the UEC issue despite their own political parties having previously included the agenda of recognising the certificate in their election manifestos.
He added that it was ironic to see Pas acting highly outraged over the UEC when institutions under the Pas-led Kelantan government have reportedly opened their doors to UEC holders for a long time.
"Since the 2022 edition of the Foundation Academic Rules Book, the Sultan Ismail Petra International Islamic College (KIAS) has laid out admission criteria that accept UEC qualifications under certain conditions. This is not a new story. This did not just appear yesterday. It happened under the administration of a Pas-led state.
"If today they want to shout and claim the government is performing a magic trick, the public has the right to ask: whose manifesto opened doors to this issue previously? Do not be seasonal opposition members who only know how to play on sentiments and public fear without speaking the truth," he added.
Danish further claimed that Barisan Nasional has historically never taken a stance of absolute rejection against UEC recognition.
"Now, suddenly, they want to act like champions of the race and national education? The public does not forget easily," he took a swipe.