MOHE, MQA TO HOLD IN-DEPTH ENGAGEMENT ON TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is expected to hold discussions with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) next week to examine technical aspects related to the recognition of educational qualifications involving the implementation of the Malay language and History.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the discussions are a continuation of the engagement process that had been initiated by the Ministry of Education (MOE), involving international schools, religious schools and other streams including the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

Speaking to reporters after attending the 'Jom Masuk Universiti (JMU) 2026'  carnival for the Premier Zone here today, he said the focus of the discussions is to ensure that existing qualifications are aligned with recognition requirements when students apply for admission to universities later.

“So those who will be involved (in the discussions) include the Director-General of Education, the Director-General of Higher Education and also the Chief Executive Officer of MQA.

“When we want to do something, we make sure that we truly delve deeply into what we intend to do. We cannot simply make decisions based on one view or another because this is a government policy,” he said.

Elaborating further, Zambry stressed that the implementation of the Malay language and History is not coercive in nature, but instead aims to ensure that every Malaysian has fair space and opportunity within the national education system.

“This is not about coercion. Therefore, I hope we can correct the perception that this matter is a form of pressure or the like. What I want to emphasise is that, for me, what we are looking at is space and opportunity for every Malaysian to gain access to education.

“We are faced with a diversity of education systems that exist today. We cannot assess this issue based on just a single case involving one particular stream,” he explained.

On the carnival, he said it is seen as an important platform in introducing alternative education pathways, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), to school leavers nationwide, in addition to universities.

“...we take the approach of going down to meet them, providing advisory services on the opportunities available to them. Likewise, in terms of opportunities to further studies today, they are not only focused on universities alone, but also involve polytechnics and the TVET sector,” he said.

He said the carnival, which began on Thursday and ends tomorrow, has attracted 40,000 physical visitors, while more than 340,000 individuals obtained information and advisory services through online platforms.

Zambry also expects physical attendance to reach between 70,000 and 80,000 people by the close of the programme, while online participation is projected to increase to as many as 500,000 individuals.

-- BERNAMA