KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — The Unified Education Certificate Task Force (PPDUEC) never submitted any report, draft or final, to the Education Ministry, Mohd Radzi Jidin said.

However, the senior minister also disclosed in his written parliamentary reply to Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) that the task force was effectively dissolved on February 29 since its tenure was not extended in February as required in its terms of reference.

February was when the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed.

"Seeing that the review period was not extended and expired on February 29, 2020, the composition of the PPDUEC automatically lapsed on the same date, which is February 29, 2020,” he said.

He confirmed that the Education Ministry has not received any preliminary, draft or final report from the task force that was set out to study the issue.

The written reply was to Teo’s oral question yesterday about the status of the task force.

The task force had consisted of Eddin Khoo, Chinese educationist Dong Zhong deputy president Datuk Tan Yew Sing who is also Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce president, and Muslim Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia president Mohamad Raimi Abdul Rahim.

It was meant to submit its final report earlier this year but this was delayed after Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik resigned as the education minister.

The Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) is a standardised test at Chinese independent high schools that are not regulated by the Education Ministry and was introduced in 1975.

The certificate is a flash point for local politics as it is used as a proxy issue for minority rights.

While it is not recognised as a prerequisite for public university entrance here, the UEC is accepted in certain private colleges in Malaysia and countries such as Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Currently, five states — Penang, Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak and Selangor — have announced that they recognise UEC though the students also need to take the Malaysia Education Certificate (SPM) examinations as well.