KUALA LUMPUR – The Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), often misunderstood as a product of China, was in fact created by Malaysians, said Datuk Tan Yew Sing, chairman of Dong Zong.
He emphasised that UEC is a Malaysian invention dating back to 1975, marking this year its 50th anniversary.
“UEC is not a China product. It was created by Malaysians, for Malaysians,” he said during a Scoop Insight podcast episode hosted by Big Boom Media Group Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez and Head of Podcasting Shazmin Shamsuddin.
“The focus has always been on developing balanced, world-ready graduates while keeping our Malaysian identity at the core.” Tan addressed the longstanding misconception that UEC is overly influenced by China. “When UEC first started, we had to look at other systems to learn from them. That included Taiwan and China, but that was only the beginning,” he said.
He stressed that the curriculum is now fully developed by Malaysian educators, with input from experts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, to provide students with a global perspective.
“Our graduates study China history, East Asian civilisation, world history, and human culture,” he explained, “but everything is taught in the context of Malaysia as our home. We want our students to understand the world, yet never lose sight of our roots.”
Tan highlighted that the early influence of foreign systems was unavoidable but emphasised that today UEC is fully Malaysian. “Some people still claim UEC is a Chinese product, but that is a misunderstanding.
It was created by Malaysians, and the curriculum has evolved to be totally Malaysian.
“UEC is equivalent to STPM or A-levels. Our students take SPM in senior middle two, and UEC in senior middle three. It is complementary, not rivalrous.”
On the political front, Tan maintained Dong Zong’s non-partisan stance.
“We do not engage in political arguments. Our focus is on education and nation-building,” he said. – December 26, 2025