KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Education Ministry said it does not have any plans now to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) taken by students at Chinese independent high schools, and said a task force that was studying the matter never submitted its report to the government.

The ministry said this in a written parliamentary reply yesterday to Merbok MP Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan, who had asked what was the outcome of the task force's report on recognition for the UEC and if the government will provide recognition to the UEC.

"For Yang Berhormat's information, until now, the MoE does not have any plans yet to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) which is implemented in Chinese private high schools. This stand is based on the National Education Policy and the provisions of the Education Act 1996 (Act 550),” the ministry said in the reply.

In the same reply, the ministry said: "The Ministry of Education did not receive any report from the UEC policy task force (PPDUEC).”

It noted that the PPDUEC was supposed to present the report on its findings to the Education Ministry within three to six months from November 29, 2018, with the period for the task force's study extended six times until February 29, 2020.

"However, up to the final date, PPDUEC still did not submit the report of its findings. Since the period for the study was not extended and had ended, therefore the membership of the PPDUEC also ended automatically on the same date,” the ministry said.