(Kuala Lumpur, 2nd) Datuk Seri Chen Rongli, President of the World Chinese Culture Research Association, stated that the argument by Chinese religious teacher Zheng Quanxing that “the UEC is a product of the Communist Party” not only distorts historical facts, but also highlights Zheng’s ignorance, foolishness, narrow-mindedness, and backwardness.
In his statement, he said that the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) was first organized in 1975 by the Dong Jiao Zong Chinese Independent High School Working Committee. The original intention was to maintain the integrity of Chinese independent high school education after the wave of school conversions, to ensure the inheritance and quality of Chinese education, and to provide a unified academic assessment standard for students of these schools.
He pointed out that the UEC curriculum guidelines draw upon local and international educational standards in order to cultivate students suited to contemporary needs, and that independent school education emphasizes diversity, openness, and humanistic care. This is in line with global educational objectives and the universal values of educational fairness and equal opportunity.
“In other words, the essence of the UEC is academic education. It was born out of grassroots educational practice—not out of any political party. A small number of students from other ethnicities have also chosen to enroll in independent schools and take the UEC. For Zheng to link the UEC to the Communist Party is completely misattributing and maliciously labeling it.”
He stated that not only do UEC candidates perform excellently in local tertiary institutions and workplaces, but they have also contributed greatly in international academic and professional fields. Moreover, under Communist Party governance, China has risen peacefully and is working to build a community of shared future for mankind. By contrast, apart from stoking racial sentiment, sowing distrust in society, and undermining national harmony, what contributions has Zheng made to Malaysia?
He pointed out that educational internationalization is a global trend, and the UEC qualification has already been recognized by many overseas universities, reflecting the academic standards and forward-looking vision of independent schools—a perspective utterly beyond the comprehension of a frog in a well.
He emphasized that the Federal Constitution guarantees all ethnic groups the right to learn their mother tongue, yet Zheng has repeatedly used his position to make extremist remarks, politicize and racialize educational issues, and openly challenge the cornerstone of Malaysia’s coexistence in diversity. Such conduct is clearly “playing politics at the expense of national sovereignty.”
“The responsibility of a religious teacher is to pursue truth, promote peace and inclusiveness, rather than spread hateful fallacies. The UEC should never be smeared as a political tool, but should serve as an opportunity for Malaysians to reflect on how to build a fairer and more inclusive education system!”