Press Digest: Government to restart discussions with Dong Zong

PETALING JAYA: After a hiatus of more than two years, the federal government will restart discussions with Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) on the possibility of granting Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) full recognition.
This was disclosed by Dong Zong's recently elected president Datuk Vincent Lau following his meeting with Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid at Parliament on Wednesday.
According to a report in Oriental Daily News yesterday, Mahdzir said the federal government is ready to look into the matter and suggested that the Higher Education Ministry be included in their discussions in the future.
Among those who attended the meeting at Parliament were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and Dong Zong chief executive officer Hong Woan Yin.
To a question, Lau said no time frame has been set for the government to recognise UEC but felt that the sooner hurdles preventing the government from recognising UEC fully are cleared the better.
He also said during the meeting, he conveyed to the minister Dong Zong's wish to return to the Education Ministry's roundtable conferences in the future.