Media statement by Dr. Hiew King Cheu in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday, 23^rd June 2010:

UPSR and PMR exam should stay

Sabah DAP viewed the proposal to abolish the UPSR and PMR examination in the education system to check the performance of the students as unnecessary. The move will cause the standard of student to drop further from the present level. This abolishment of the two levels of the exams may be seen as a step on the part of the BN government to avoid the incurred expenses and "troubles".

The present examination system both in the primary six (UPSR) and the form 3 (PMR) level is of vital importance and these are an indicator to provide check and to determine the learning achievement of each and every student. The exam system also created competition and challenges among students, which will enhance excellent result and grading for recognition. Until now our society still value and depending very much on the exam result and grade achievement made in the various government examinations in schools.

The proposal to abolish these exams will bring not only drop in our education quality and reduce competitiveness on the future generation. A mass production without proper gauging of the standard of the students will cause standard drop beyond average, and definitely our education level will be affected deeply. May be in the future in Malaysia every can have a degree and no need to go for exams, by then who is doing the blue collar job. At the moment, there is already so difficult to engage blue collar workers. The mass production of the so called "qualified graduates" has created burden to our society.

This proposal has to be stopped and we can not afford to risk our education system to bring harm to our valued future generations. In fact more strict exams are to be implemented to ensure standards and quality students are enhanced.

DAP is against the termination of the UPSR and the PMR examinations.

* Dr Hiew King Cheu, DAP Sabah Chairman & MP for Kota Kinabalu