THE SARAWAK United Association of Chinese School Boards of Management has paid glowing tribute to the late chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem for being the first government head in any state and across country to give official recognition to Chinese examination qualifications.
Adenan, who passed away while in office in 2017, allowed the exam certificate to be used to secure job in the state government civil service.
When he led Sarawak from 2014 until his death, Adenan was also the first government head to allocate a fixed annual financial budget for Chinese independent schools, said the association's chairman Datuk Vincent Lau.
He said the process set in by the Sarawak administration then helped to transform the image of Chinese education permanently.
"Tan Sri Adenan has left behind a legacy that will not be forgotten among the Chinese education arena in Sarawak,” he said told a gathering at the Chinese Education Hall at Wisma Hua Wen Du Zhong in Sibu yesterday.
Also present at the function was Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu, wife of Adenan, who was on a visit to the hall.
"He was the first government head in the state and country to give fixed annual government financial development grants to Chinese independent schools.”
Lau recalled that that the association had requested to meet him in his office to brief him on the many problems and financial needs facing Chinese schools in Sarawak soon after Adenan assumed the chief minister’s office in 2014.
"He responded swiftly and asked us to go see him. I presented an appeal letter to him detailing all the needs of our Chinese schools throughout the state.
"He opened the letter, read it on the spot, and said: ‘tell me what you need from the state government.’”
Lau recalled that Adenan approved a RM3 million budget for aid to the Chinese schools soon after that. He also increased the annual grants for the schools to RM 10 million.
One particular landmark move was to accord official government recognition to the UEC (Unified Exam Certificate).
"He opened state civil service jobs to those having UEC qualifications," said Lau.
Lau said the Chinese communities will always be in debt to Adenan for raising the image of Chinese schools and giving state support to Chinese education policies.
It had led to even more Bumiputra students enrolling in Chinese schools and qualifying with strong results, he stressed.
Lau described this legacy is among the greatest contributions from Adenan to the people of Sarawak.
Born on January 27, 1944, Adenan passed away on January 11, 2017. He was president of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB).
Over the past two years the present Sarawak government has fixed an annual grant of RM10 million to Chinese Independent schools in the state.
There are in total 14 private Chinese secondary schools in Sarawak. – The Vibes, January 19, 2024
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