UEC holders are now eligible to sit for CLP examination

Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) chairman Tommy Thomas has announced that Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders are now eligible to sit for the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) examination.

Tommy said the board had a meeting and unanimously agreed on the new requirement, with the implementation date set on January 1, 2021. However, UEC holders must obtain passes in at least two subjects during their Senior Middle 3. Meanwhile, students with SPM/O Levels or equivalent certificate need to earn at least five credits in order to sit for the CLP examination.

He also emphasized that other law degrees obtained overseas, such as from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, shall continue being recognised.

The new requirement for CLP examination gathered the media’s attention since March 29.

Naturally, Tommy Thomas became the top influencer for the “UEC” topic.

Also, on the influencer list, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said that this decision does not imply that the government has recognised the UEC certificate. He added that this may be a misconceived move by the government to show that they will recognise UEC certificate.

As written in the Harapan Manifesto, one of the promises is to recognise UEC, despite it not following the national education system.

Negeri Sembilan PPBM chief Rais Yatim sent a protest note to Tommy, urging the latter to reconsider his decision. Rais said the decision was made without conducting studies and it is unfair to the students from vernacular schools. He also claimed that Tommy’s decision was influenced by Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.

“It would be good if you issue a statement on this and not allow Teo to exploit your position. Once it becomes a vivid political issue, you may find the cauldron too hot to stay in,” – Rais Yatim from MalaysiaKini

Now that UEC holders are eligible for CLP exam, will UEC holders be eventually recognized by the government?