KUALA LUMPUR – Ipoh Timur MP Howard Lee has criticised Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh for claiming that he does not understand the national education policy, particularly regarding the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
According to Howard, who is also a DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) member, Akmal had strayed from the facts when he alleged that the UEC does not fulfil the three conditions required for recognition.
Howard added that many students who sit for the UEC also take the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
He also drew comparisons between the UEC and other international qualifications such as the Advanced Levels (A-Levels) and the International Baccalaureate (IB).
“Do A-Levels meet those requirements? No. Does IB meet them? Does the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) meet them? No.
“And does he even know that most UEC students actually sit for SPM as well? Clearly he doesn’t.
“IB doesn’t follow the national curriculum at all. IGCSE students don’t sit for SPM or STPM. If we follow Akmal’s logic — which isn’t very logical — then all these should also be rejected and not recognised by public or private higher institutions,” he said in a video posted on social media today.
Yesterday, Akmal, who is also Umno Jasin division chief, was reported as saying that the government has no reason to consider recognising the UEC when the certificate does not meet key aspects of the National Education Policy.
He explained that the policy is based on three elements: Malay must be the main medium of instruction, the curriculum must be uniform and nationally oriented, and students must sit for the same examination system.
Howard, however, pointed out that Malaysia has a multi-stream education system, which is a historical, legal and factual reality.
What is odd, he said, is that during the administration of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, several leaders including those currently serving in the Cabinet had previously promised UEC recognition.
Howard questioned whether they, too, supposedly did not understand the National Education Policy.
“Because logically, Akmal himself is inconsistent and actually totally wrong. So the issue for him isn’t really about the National Education Policy.
“The real question is who he wants to attack and why. He says the UEC isn’t aligned. But are A-Levels aligned? Are the IGCSE or IB aligned? That’s not what the policy is,” he said. – 12 December 2025