UMNO AGM Umno delegates presented differing views on Chinese education at the party's annual general assembly today, with one slamming independent Chinese certification while another urged mastery of Mandarin.

Kerdau assemblyperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad said proponents of the independent Chinese schools' Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) have no interest to become integrated with Malays, but instead want to grab power

As such, Syed Ibrahim said it was a good thing that the Higher Education Ministry does not recognise the UEC.

"They don't want to be in our schools, our public universities. They don't want to be with us.

"They want to belittle us, they want to take the power that is in our hands," Syed Ibrahim told delegates at the Umno general assembly today.

Chinese education proponents have been fighting to get the UEC recognised by the government so that its graduates can enter public universities.

Putrajaya doesn't recognise the UEC as its curriculum doesn't follow the national education curriculum and students allegedly lack proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia.

Meanwhile Perak delegate Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin said more Malays need to learn to speak Mandarin to tap into China market.

"China is the future," she said, noting that there are many businesses opportunities with China.

This includes working with China firms opening up their businesses in Malaysia, who are likely to prefer Mandarin-speaking delegates.

As such, Wan Norashikin called on the Education Ministry to expand elective classes teaching Mandarin in schools.

To drive her point home, she cited a Chinese proverb "if a jade is not cut and polished, it can’t be made into anything", meaning that a person won't be useful without education.

"Even if it is difficult we have to try for the good of our future," she said.