The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should announce three ang pows at the Dong Zong Chinese New Year Open House tomorrow, namely:

* Full government recognition of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) as one of the academic qualifications for entry into national higher learning institutions, public services and teaching academies;

* Government approval for four Chinese independent secondary schools in Petaling Jaya, Puchong, Segamat and Johore Baru;

* Review of the National Education Blueprint to give full recognition of mother-tongue education in the mainstream of the national education system, including:

1. Increase in the number of Chinese and Tamil primary schools dependent on the needs of parents to send their children to Chinese and Tamil primary schools in order to ensure the right of students to receive mother-tongue education; and

2. Fair and just capital allocations for development expenditures of Chinese and Tamil primary schools and the provision of adequate trained teachers; and

3. Assist Malaysian independent Chinese secondary schools in financing, teacher-training, curricula design, amenities, etc and to allow them to relocate, set up branches and put up new premises.

DAP and Pakatan Rakyat are committed to the full recognition of UEC and if Najib fails to make such an announcement tomorrow, then it will be one of the priority policy announcements of a new Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya after the 13GE. Read the rest of this entry »