The Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) has periodically resurfaced in Malaysia’s public discourse, often framed through debates over national identity, unity, and language.

Supporters argue that recognising the UEC would broaden access to public universities for graduates of Chinese independent schools, while critics contend that it could undermine national education policy, particularly the role of Bahasa Malaysia as the central language of instruction.

While the debate remains largely unresolved, lost in the polemic are the voices of...