Kota Kinabalu: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Datuk Chin Su Phin called on the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government to establish a 20 per cent quota system for Chinese Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) students seeking entry into the civil service and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
The proposal aims to address what Chin describes as considerable barriers faced by academically qualified Chinese UEC students in accessing public sector employment and higher education opportunities in the State.
While acknowledging the Sabah Government’s recent recognition of the UEC as a progressive step, Chin said symbolic recognition alone is insufficient without concrete implementation measures.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“Recognition alone is not sufficient. Without a structured and transparent quota system, Chinese UEC students will continue to face significant barriers,” Chin said in a statement, Wednesday.
He said the proposed quota system is designed to address under-representation rather than grant special privileges, positioning it as a policy that reflects Sabah’s multiracial identity and promotes unity across communities.
He pointed out issues of talent drain, noting that limited local opportunities have forced many UEC students to seek education and employment outside Sabah or Malaysia entirely.
“Creating more pathways would help retain local talent and strengthen the State’s future capacity,” he said.
The proposal comes as part of broader discussions about educational equity and representation in Malaysia’s public institutions, with particular focus on ensuring that students from Chinese independent schools have meaningful access to career opportunities in their home state.
Chin urged the State Government to move beyond symbolic gestures and implement practical policies that ensure no capable Sabahan is left behind in building a shared future.
