KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 -- The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) has clarified that it had not quoted the prime minister as saying that the Malaysian government intends to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

In a statement dated yesterday (July 18) posted on Hua Zong's website, Hua Zong president Tan Sri Goh Tian Chuan sought to clear the air over news reports regarding what transpired in Hua Zong's first meeting with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister on July 16.

Goh urged against any attempts to politicise the UEC issue or turn it into a racial matter, calling for the public to take a moderate view of Hua Zong's stand on the UEC issue as well as on Hua Zong's quoting of the main points b...