A pro-single stream school movement has stated its opposition against efforts to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

Responding to Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon who said that UEC is set to be recognised “very soon”, Gerakan Sistem Sekolah Satu Aliran Demi Perpaduan (Serap) chairperson Shahril Hamdan urged Chong to give further explanation on the matter.

“We oppose strongly to this and we also urge Chong to explain whether his remarks were made based on his own hope or that the matter was indeed agreed upon by the government,” Shahril said in a statement today.

Shahril said Chong’s statement had contradicted the government’s previous decision, in that the UEC was not recognised as an entry qualification to local universities.

He also emphasised Serap’s stance on the matter – that the existence of various school streams was not an asset to the country and would instead further divide the people.

Shahril, who is also Umno Youth executive council member, said Chong must realise that UEC did not use the national curriculum and instead used the curriculum of Taiwan and was managed by the United Chinese School Committees’ Association (Dong Zong) instead of the government.

Should there be quarters who still want to fight for the UEC, Shahril said it was their right to do so but they should not ask for government’s support.

“Any effort to recognise the UEC is a step backwards and will worsen the situation as well as placing us further from long-term solutions (to obtain national unity),” he added.

Chong was quoted by English daily The Star as saying that the process of getting the UEC fully recognised and accepted as an entry qualification to local universities was nearing fruition.

He, however, did not state a time frame for the government to finalise the recognition but confirmed that meetings with Dong Zong and the Higher Education Ministry have been conducted.