Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 18, 2020

Vernacular Schools Generate Disunity Refuted

Unjust Policy is the Cause of National Disunity

Dong Jiao Zong refutes Kinabatangan (Sabah) MP Bung Mokhtar Radin’s recent remarks claiming that “the existence of vernacular schools is the cause of disunity” and posits that the government needs to face the multiracial reality of the country since earning its independence and should feel proud of its multicultural coexistence. Dong Jiao Zong also cautions the raise of religious and political extremism which essentially impacts the country’s multiplicity and national integrity.

We should note that vernacular schools have existed long before independence and the rights of mother tongue education endowed by the Constitution as well as the safeguard of multiethnic, religious, cultural and educational reality was the social contract unanimously agreed upon by all ethnic groups while fighting for its independence. Notwithstanding the medium of instruction differs in both Chinese and Indian primary schools, the national curriculum is strictly observed and Bahasa Melayu and English are the required subjects taught and examined.

As it stands, national-type schools, religious schools, independent Chinese secondary schools, private schools, international schools or other type of schools exist in responsive to the change of era and social needs. They in true fact have coexisted harmoniously for long and have produced polymaths for the country continuously which are undeniable. In this vein, we strongly believe that vernacular schools do not cause national disunity; rather, unfair policies practiced by the government are the roots of the problem.

Other than ensuring the right to education, the government is expected to raise just and effective education resource distribution strategies and nurture polymaths of various sorts; in particular on fundamental education, the government is obliged by law to uphold minority groups and under privileged groups, shorten the distance between urban and rural area thus to promote social mobility and create a harmonious and stable society. The blessed multicultural reality of Malaysia has never been the original sin of national disunity. To firstly embrace multiple coexistences as well as maintaining the fertile soil of multiplicity later can competitiveness then be promoted in the society to generate pluralistic, variegated and spectacular vitality.

The preposterous comments made by selfish politicians regularly to incite racial sentiments and create confrontation are in true fact the cause of social disunity and the impediment of advancement towards national unity and integrity. Bung Mokhtar Radin’s repugnant paradoxes voices in the parliament albeit enjoying legislative immunity is generally predicted to be controversial and unfounded which are unfaithful to the truth. The duty and responsibility of a parliament member is to be the mouthpiece of the people, supervise the government, audit national budget and partake legislative debates. Ever since the party alteration in the country, Malaysians are enlightened and thus the situation defers. We therefore earnestly advise politicians in general to speak prudentially and cautiously and stay away from dereliction.

Statement Released by Dong Zong

July 22, 2020

Election Manifestos of All Parties Are to Honour—

Rational Dialogue and Professional Negotiation for the UEC Recognition

Dong Zong expects all walks of life to sustain an attitude which is ready to listen and communicate in rational dialogue and professional negotiation rather than one which clamours, protests and provokes to strive for the UEC recognition and acceptance. We also urge the Prime Minister and the MOE to schedule a meeting sooner with Dong Zong for the UEC recognition and acceptance.

The issue of the UEC recognition was a common understanding of all parties in the country, be it the then Barisan Nasional government or the opposition Pakatan Harapan. In actual fact, the UEC recognition was one of the promises in their election manifesto and it augured well for the acceptance as they all shared the same view to recognise the UEC from the professional aspect. Unfortunately, we regret to witness how the endeavour for the recognition of the UEC over the two years have turned out to be a challenge towards the national status of Bahasa Melayu which incites ethnic confrontations and makes the efforts put into the non-easily-attained common understanding and trust in vain.

As a matter of fact, the government has gradually accepted the UEC as one of the admission requirements for local universities or higher education institutions, including local private universities, state-run universities as well as government cum private sector’s joint venture universities. As early as 2012, the government had allowed UEC holders to apply for Bachelor Degree of Teaching Programme for Chinese as a subject thus to teach in Chinese primary schools as government servants. Currently, seven state governments formed by various parties have formally recognised the UEC: Penang island, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak and Sabah. Saliently from what it shows, more and more politicians and high-ranking MOE officials are willing to let go of the ethnic luggage to treat the UEC recognition issue from practical, compassionate, professional and rational perspectives.

Dong Zong understands that a particular ethnic group and community has misunderstood the UEC as they reckon it an imported system from ethnic Chinese region such as China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, etc. The reality being, in the process of formulation, the UEC curriculum relies on the curriculum standard issued by the central government and it adequately reflects local curricular view under the national education policy. Simultaneously, Dong Zong has observed the directive of according Bahasa Melayu as the national language and accepting Bahasa Melayu distinction in the SPM as the supplementary prerequisite for UEC holders to get tertiary study admission and actually all independent Chinese secondary schools offer Bahasa Melayu as a required subject. As such, we wish our country men will see the UEC recognition with a macro, pluralistic and panoramic mindset from the perspectives of professionalism, competitivity and nurture of talents.

Lastly, we appeal the new National Alliance government to reactivate the negotiation of UEC recognition based on the understanding of all parties in 2018 to honour the self-expectations of our Prime Minister Tan Sri Dato Haji Muhyidin bin Haji Mohammad Yassin for the country. We also urge the MOE to accept the PPDUEC report submitted by the UEC Task Force headed by Eddin Khoo and subsequently disclose its contents sooner for public knowledge and understanding as this will further cohere social understanding of the relevant policy.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

July 3, 2020

Weighing on Diverse Circumstances

Senior and Junior UEC to Be Held Separately

In conjunction with the further alleviation and confinement of coronavirus spread, graduating students had been given the greenlight to take the lead to resume studies in schools on 24 June whereas students from other levels would follow suit on 15 July. The Ministry of Education likewise had pronounced the SPM examination to be held from 6 January to 9 February 2021.

Corresponding to this pronouncement, an ad hoc meeting was held by Dong Jiao Zong MICSS Working Committee recently to finalise the examination dates for both the Senior and Junior UEC. The UEC Examination Committee indeed had taken all accounts into consideration repeatedly, including the impacts that might ensue raised in proposals submitted, lest there would be inappropriateness in addressing the critical challenge of this new norm. The considerations are, namely, the completion of curriculum, the safety of candidates and invigilators, the operation of the schools, the maximisation of learning time, the quality control and operation of the UEC and the needs of tertiary studies, let alone the assessment of the three-week class resumption duration between senior and junior students as well as the timetable of government public examination to minimise the harm of changing examination dates towards next academic year’s learning progress.

In the abovementioned ad hoc meeting, the following examination dates are scheduled:

• The Senior UEC Examination is scheduled to be held from 2 December to 8 December 2020; and
• The Junior UEC Examination is to be held from 28 December to 31 December 2020.

Dong Jiao Zong reiterates, the UEC is a standardised examination thus stability, reliability and commensurability is demanded. Moreover, the UEC has been held for the past 45 years, be it rain or shine thus far, its reliability and academic status must hence be safeguarded prudentially and professionally.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

May 14, 2020

In response to the news pointing out that “UEC holders will no longer enjoy the exemption of Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) for admission to universities in China” reported on Chinese media, Dong Jiao Zong hereby releases its statement as follows:

1. The Malaysia Independent Chinese Secondary Schools provide mother tongue education; Chinese is their main medium of instruction and their students sit for the UEC (Unified Examination for Independent Chinese Secondary Schools). In 2004, the Culture Department of the China Embassy in Malaysia issued a written notice from the Ministry of Education of China stating the exemption of UEC holders from taking HSK prior to tertiary admission. As such, since 2004, UEC holders have been admitted to universities in China smoothly without sitting for HSK and it in actual fact encourages UEC holders to further their studies in China.
2. During the second half of last year, a handful of UEC holders studying in China informed that a minor number of universities in China demanded HSK from UEC holders. Immediate remedied work, including communicating the relevant universities and China Embassy in Malaysia, was embarked by Dong Jiao Zong and relevant materials were submitted for clarification. It was acknowledged that the China Embassy had rendered their support and addressed the issue proactively.
3. Dong Jiao Zong recently received a letter dated May 13 “in regards to the Exemption of HSK for Admission to Universities” from the Culture Department of the China Embassy addressing to all universities and higher education institutions in China. In the letter, 63 schools were listed, namely, the sixty MICSSs and two branches and the UEC-sitting SM Chung Hwa Kuantan. It stated students from the listed schools can use the duplicate copy of that legalisation letter to request for exemption of HSK and they can get admission with merely the UEC certificate. Further, the letter likewise reconfirmed the ongoing execution of the notice “Regarding Conditional Exemption of the HSK for Foreign Students” issued by the International Cooperation and Interaction Bureau of the China Ministry of Education in year 2004. Acknowledgement is herewith due to the Culture Department of the China Embassy in Malaysia for its proactive assistance and facilitation.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

April 27, 2020

Senior and Junior UEC Examination Postponed to December—

May Reschedule When Movement Control Order Lift

Due to uncertainty derived from the coronavirus alert, the government had resorted to postponement or cancellation of public examinations. In response to the severe circumstance, the following decisions were approved in the ad hoc meeting held by the MICSS Unified Examination Committee recently:

1. The Senior and Junior UEC examination to be postponed to December 2020; and
2. The timetable for the said examination will be pronounced when the schools are reopened upon the stability of the coronavirus spread.

Dong Jiao Zong emphasises that the UEC is a standardised examination thus stability, reliability and commensurability is demanded. Moreover, the UEC has been held for the past 45 years be it rain or shine thus far, its reliability and academic status must be safeguarded prudentially and professionally.

Ensuing the pronouncement made by the Prime Minister on April 23 to once again prolong the Movement Control Order until May 12, Dong Jiao Zong will consistently pay close attention to the matter and observe the final exit strategy and latest guidelines for informed decision on the time of examination for public attention.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

26 APRIL 2020

Standing by Our Fallen Heroine’s Family

We have to stand by our medical front-liners who fight the Covid-19 outbreak with their lives.

The tragic demise of Nadila Rahmat, the nurse in Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital, Muar, Johor, has taken away the eldest daughter from her parents, the eldest sister from her four siblings and the sole breadwinner for her family. We are called to fill the void economically as much as we can, as if her family is our own.

Her demise is a great loss to society and the nation: for her hospital, a dedicated staff member with 10-year experience; for her patients, a nurse who would attend to their pain at any time; for Malaysia, a heroine who loyally answered the call to fight the pandemic on the front-lines.

We cannot replace such a noble soul. We can only mourn with tears. In the wake of the shattering pain of loss, we can reach within our means to do what we can, to honour her contribution and sacrifice and provide some encouragement for her family. The smile of a nurse can lighten the pain of her patients. We pray that similarly this little donation we have collected will lighten the burden of her family.

We, United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) have collected RM 65,000 in donations and transferred it to the late Nadila Rahmat’s family.

We thank Dr Musa Mohd Nordin from KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital for connecting us with her family. Friends who would like to contribute may do so by banking into the family’s account: Maybank, 151089316135, RODIAH BINTI MOHD DON and informing her family by email: [email protected] or WhatsApp:+60 13-635 3528.

United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong)

The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)