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ANY discussion on recognising education certificates, including the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), must be anchored in the Federal Constitution and the national education philosophy.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated the UEC issue concerns the future of Bahasa Melayu as the language of knowledge and national unity.
He warned that language determines control over universities, the public sector, and the economy.
“When Bahasa Melayu is weakened, Malay children in the national stream will be the most affected,” he said as reported by Bernama.
Therefore, any recognition must be firmly based on the constitution and the national education philosophy.
He asserted that the use of Bahasa Melayu and History must be mandatory for any government recognition of the UEC.
Ahmad Zahid delivered these remarks at the Convention on Empowering Malay Education at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
Also present were UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as well as UMNO Supreme Council member and chairman of the convention’s Secretariat, Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.
Ahmad Zahid stated that to defend Bahasa Melayu as the language of knowledge for the future, UMNO would continue to champion efforts to ensure the language develops as a language of science, technology, and higher-order thinking.
“Although it requires substantial investment, this step is important to ensure the sustainability of Bahasa Melayu as a competitive language of knowledge,” he said. – January 14, 2026