Bersatu Youth's education bureau has called upon Education Minister Maszlee Malik to ignore calls to provide an allocation to Chinese independent high schools (SPMC) under the federal development budget.

Its head Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir (above), in a statement today, said this was because doing so was not listed as part of Pakatan Harapan's agenda.

"SPMC does not come under any category of educational institution of the national education system.

"In fact, in Harapan's manifesto, there is nothing that mentions about financial aid to SMPC or an agenda to strengthen them," he said.

Ashraf's statement comes amid reports in Chinese newspapers that Maszlee had promised to provide allocations to SPMC in the form of "development expenses".

The education minister had earlier come under fire from two DAP elected representatives - Ipoh Timur MP Wong Kah Woh, and Bercham assemblyperson Ong Boon Piow - for not providing allocations to the SMPC.

Ashraf said while Bersatu Youth was all for diversity in the education system and helping out the non-bumiputera, it also believed that help should only be extended to government-run vernacular schools.

"We would like to ask the two representatives and other Harapan lawmakers as well - have they not read Promise No 5 in the Harapan manifesto that says: Building an inclusive, moderate and excellent Malaysia on the global stage?

"If Harapan lawmakers observe this, it is clear that the education minister does not have to even begin to entertain the calls that are being put forward," he said.

On the same note, the Education Ministry should also relook and reconsider the plan to implement the United Examination Certificate (UEC) because it "clearly goes against the National Education Policy and Harapan's intention to create an integrated society, he added.