Open Letter to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia: Empowering Education, Upholding Language — Considering the Recognition of UEC in the Spirit of the Constitution
Due to the popularity of this blogpost, it has since been translated:
1. A thousand pardons, Your Majesty, I humbly beg forgiveness. I am but a humble servant of the common people, who has always devoted attention to the future of our beloved nation, for the well-being of the generations who will inherit this homeland. Throughout my life, I have lived under the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the Father of Malaysia; Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad; Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi; and now Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. My generation now belongs among the senior citizens, with some experience and understanding of the political struggles that have coloured the nation’s journey.
2. Permit me, Your Majesty, to present this open letter to gain the attention of Your Royal Highness and the Conference of Rulers in the effort to resolve the polemic concerning the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), established in 1975, which was 21 years before the Education Act 1996 came into force.
3. Since the UEC issue is often politicised and has the potential to divide Malaysia’s diverse and multi-ethnic society, it is unsurprising that the Honourable Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, faces difficulty in proposing any solution. Moreover, if such proposals were to come from a political party such as the DAP, I fear they would immediately be framed as racial issues and weaponised by certain quarters to weaken the Madani Government.
I believe such circumstances could repeat history that once befell the Honourable Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the Father of Malaysia. Considering that asset seizures have already occurred against a former minister, I am of the view that current efforts to topple Datuk Seri Anwar’s government stem from the anxiety of a former prime minister that his and his family’s assets may likewise be seized by the Malaysian government.
Since the recognition of the UEC can in fact be studied objectively, but is unlikely to be resolved by politicians, I believe it is better to seek the consent of Your Majesty and the Conference of Rulers to consider how this issue may be laid to rest once and for all, for the welfare of the people, so that citizens may focus their full attention on supporting the Madani Government established to develop our beloved nation.
4. First Argument: As a true Malaysian citizen of Chinese descent who firmly upholds the principles of the Rukunegara, I respectfully begin my argument by clarifying that it is indeed enshrined in the Federal Constitution under Article 15 (2) (a)-(b):
Although the Constitution states that “the national language shall be the Malay language and shall be in such script as provided by Parliament,” two conditions often deliberately overlooked are:
“Provided that—
(a) no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using (other than for official purposes), or from teaching or learning, any other language;
(b) nothing in this Clause shall prejudice the right of the Federal Government or any State Government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language of any other community in the Federation.”
5. Second Argument: Indeed, the UEC has long been recognised by prestigious international universities ranked among the Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings. These include Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Melbourne, Sydney, Monash, Australian National University, Auckland, and within our homeland, it has been recognised by local private universities and the Sarawak State Government. This recognition, Your Majesty, is based on the strength and credibility of its curriculum, not merely the language of instruction.
For Your Majesty’s knowledge, a university offering a bachelor’s degree usually requires several cohorts of graduates before the course is accredited by professional bodies such as the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) or the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC). Yet UEC students have already accumulated over 50 years of experience producing graduates who contribute to national development, even though the UEC is still not officially recognised at the national level.
Among the figures born of this system is the inventor known as the “Father of the Pendrive,” Dato’ Pua Khein-Seng, a native son who studied at Pin Hwa High School, Klang, Selangor, which used the UEC curriculum. His invention—the world’s first USB flash controller chip—became the foundation of the modern pendrive now used worldwide.
Although I have no family members who pursued UEC education, I am confident that most parents choose this system because of its structured, strong, and credible curriculum. Indeed, if it were otherwise, parents who value their children’s success would not invest money and effort to send them to Chinese independent schools.
6. Third Argument: With Your Majesty’s permission, I am confident that the Most Honourable Prime Minister has already clarified his stance on elevating the status of Malay as the national language.
As a father of two young children still in school, I deeply understand parents’ hopes that their children may become fluent in several international languages, as well as Malay, which is vital for daily life in Malaysia.
Therefore, with utmost respect, I wish to present several facts I have gathered from writings and research by others, for Your Majesty’s consideration:
(a) Pass Rate of SPM Bahasa Malaysia:
UEC (96%)
SJKC (90%)
National Schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan) (75%)
Consistently, these are the pass rates of UEC students:
• 97.38% (2022)
• 97.11% (2023)
• 96.65% (2024)
(b) National Primary and Secondary School Students in Mastery of Malay Language
Meanwhile, I wish to present alarming facts after a study by the Ministry of Education found:
• More than 400,000 students in national primary and secondary schools face fundamental learning gaps.
• 280,985 primary school pupils have not mastered Malay.
• 154,853 secondary school students still lack basic 3M skills (reading, writing, arithmetic).
In my view, this is because the SPM Malay Language curriculum is overloaded with content, making it perhaps more suitable for STPM literature-stream students.
(c) Parents’ Choices to Uphold the Language and Ensure Their Children’s Future Success
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why many Malays also choose education in Chinese schools, as shown in the following facts I present, Your Majesty:
• SJK(C) Chi Sin in Batu Kikir, Negeri Sembilan: 94% Malay
• SJK(C) Panching in Kuantan: 81% Malay
• SJK(C) Chio Chiao: 80% Malay
• SJK(C) Kuala Krau: 66% Malay
• SJK(C) Khai Chee: 64% Malay
• SJK(C) Ton Fah: 55% Malay
If my wife’s and my own education had been based on Chinese-medium schooling, and given the chance to choose again, I would certainly encourage my children to join the UEC stream. This is because UEC students’ achievement in mastering the national language has proven to be excellent and commendable. More importantly, it nurtures a future generation knowledgeable in diverse fields, given that school years are short and must be fully utilised.
I recall during my own schooling, the teaching of the national language was based on three main aspects:
(a) Comprehension
(b) Speaking
(c) Writing
Although at that time I only managed to obtain grade P8 in SPM Malay Language, I was still able to speak and write fluently in the national language, to the amazement of my Malay friends. In fact, I was recently asked whether I was Chinese or Malay when speaking Malay over the phone, because my speech was thought to sound exactly like a Malay person.
In the 21st century, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has opened wide opportunities to facilitate communication in multiple languages. For example, the translation of this article from English into Malay can be completed by Microsoft Copilot in just three to four seconds.
Therefore, if this nation wishes to continue advancing, education from school to university must be shaped by experts with foresight and progressive thinking, no longer bound by outdated rigid approaches in strengthening and empowering Malay as the national language.
Thus, Malay language learning should be enhanced with fresher and more progressive approaches — emphasising strong writing, fluent speaking, and deep comprehension in the national language.
National language learning can be enriched by showcasing the masterpieces of the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, which depict the history of the Malay rulers of Melaka, for students to study. Afterwards, students may re-enact them using strong language, or debate respectfully on what Sultan Mahmud should have done under pressing circumstances.
This effort must be carried out without overburdening students with excessive focus on grammar alone, so that Malay truly lives as a medium of knowledge, communication, and national unity.
Conclusion: With utmost respect, I wish to emphasise before Your Majesty that recognition of the UEC is not related to strengthening the position of Malay or Chinese. While I agree that the national language must be upheld as urged by the Most Honourable Prime Minister, UEC recognition should be considered based on its curriculum structure, which for decades has successfully produced many professionals who have contributed greatly and meaningfully to Malaysia’s development.
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