Kota Kinabalu: A Parti Warisan leader hailed Sarawak’s decision to introduce its own Year Six assessment for pupils following the controversial scrapping of the UPSR exam by the Ministry of Education.
He urged the Sabah Government to discuss with Sarawak Government on creating a Federal Government-ratified “Borneo Education System” suitable for both regions. Tungku Assemblyman Assafal P Alian said as founding members of the Federation, both Borneo states should have the right to shape the country’s education system and cater to present and future needs.
He said even though both Sabah and Sarawak, initially, agreed to allow the Federal Government to manage its education system, it is apparent that unseen hands have interfered which caused many deviations and important facts being omitted.
“Most notably, (facts on) the formation of Malaysia and our inherent rights and privileges under MA63. These (deviations) were never part of the deal when Sabah agreed to form the Federation of Malaysia,” he said in a statement, Friday.
Assafal stressed that what Sabah wanted was an education system that would produce students of international quality who would one day assist in Sabah’s development through meritorious appointment as governmental and industry leaders.
“That is why I think the idea by the Sarawak Government to create their own state assessment examination similar to UPSR is very good.
“Because school children in Peninsular Malaysia can spend more time on extra-curriculum activities due to their superior academic environment.
“Our school children in the rural areas are not so lucky and are lagging behind academically due to poverty, logistic challenges, insufficient teaching equipment and poor facilities,” he said.
He believed that Sabah required intermittent assessments, similar to UPSR and PT3, to create a controlled academic pressure and enable schools to continuously evaluate students’ performance – a necessary intervention before they sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
“Obviously creating such exams or even re-introducing UPSR and PT3 will add more burden to our teachers.
“Hence, this is why I think our State Government should discuss the matter with their Sarawak counterparts and draw a blueprint that reflects a separate education system that is more relevant and practical in Borneo,” he said.
He said the idea is not to break away from the Federal Education Ministry but to assert Sabah’s and Sarawak’s position as the founding partners of the Federation.
It is also to ensure the huge annual budget allocated to the Ministry would be spent on realising aspirations and current/future needs of both regions.
“But Sabah and Sarawak must firstly reach consensus on this matter and thereafter, present their case to the Federal Government. If the Federal Education Ministry can come out with a ‘Palestinean Solidarity Week’, they also can come out with the ‘MA63 Week’.
But the question is whether the GRS-led Sabah Government has the determination to do so.
“If GRS is uninterested, I believe Warisan and its political allies can approach GPS and find a way as to how both States can convince the Federal Government to agree to the regions’ mutual aspirations and challenges in education matters,” he said.
Among aspects Sarawak have defied the Ministry of Education were holding Palestinin Solidarity Week activities, recognising the UEC certificate and insisting on allowing both Bahasa Malaysia and English, both as a medium of instruction in schools as well as in official correspondence with government bodies.
* Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.