Sarawakian lawmaker Julian Tan (DAP-Stampin) was left scratching his head in Parliament today by Deputy Higher Education Minister Mary Yap's answer on the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

Tan had wanted to know if holders of the UEC, which is the Chinese-medium equivalent of STPM, can enrol in post-graduate programmes in public universities (IPTAthe ) after obtaining a degree from a foreign university with a campus in Sarawak.

"(Sarawak) universities will take in UEC students. So will these students, who graduate from Swinburne University for example, be able to further their studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas)?" Tan asked

Yap, however, said the question "was not related" to UEC and that she would not respond.

She added: "I have said that qualification for public universities are consistent," referring to her earlier answer on the federal government's position that UEC holders could not enter IPTAs.

This is because the certificate did not meet several criteria, including that its Malay component was not equivalent to the SPM Bahasa Malaysia paper.

Asked at the Parliament lobby if Yap had not understood his question, Tan said: "I really hope not because she is the deputy higher education minister.

"In Parliament if you don't know anything, it is better to answer that 'I'll get back to you' rather than saying the question is not related when it clearly is," Tan told reporters.

The Sarawak state government in September said it would recognise UEC holders, allowing them to work for the state government, enter state universities and also apply for state scholarships.

This is on condition that UEC holders score at least a credit in Bahasa Malaysia in the SPM.