DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has revealed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim plans to introduce a new “language policy” in the coming months, with the long-disputed Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) expected to be addressed within this framework.
Speaking on “The Keywords Podcast”, Loke said that while some in government may not view the UEC as the most critical issue, it remains highly important for the Chinese community and Chinese voters.
“We told the prime minister that this is very important for the Chinese community. The level of concern among Chinese voters is very high.
“We are confident that the prime minister shares a consensus to deal with this issue. So in the coming months there will be a new language policy,” he said.
Loke stressed that the new policy will not focus solely on Chinese, but on strengthening language proficiency as a whole.
“It’s a new language policy, not just about Chinese. Chinese is one component. It is about strengthening all languages – how to strengthen the national language, and other languages as well,” he said.
He added that the policy would cover Malay, English and Chinese, and that the Chinese-language component would include dealing with the UEC.
“(It will) include resolving the UEC issue. We believe there will be a decision in the next few months,” he said.
Asked whether the idea was to “park” the UEC under this broader language framework, Loke explained that the UEC had remained unresolved because it was always treated as a policy issue in Peninsular Malaysia and faced resistance from other forces.
“We have not given up. We want to push (for it). But in government, there are other forces that may react or push back.
“So it’s about how to balance everything, how to package the policy, and how to come up with a more comprehensive solution to resolve this issue,” he said, adding that the new language policy is intended to strengthen all languages while finding space to address the UEC.
