Kuala Lampur, July 15 -- KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 - Nearly 20 per cent of Chinese secondary school students in Malaysia are enrolled in Chinese independent high schools offering the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) stream this year, according to the Education Ministry.

In a written parliamentary reply dated yesterday, the ministry said 75,144 Chinese students are studying in UEC stream schools, accounting for 19.4 per cent of the total 387,406 Chinese secondary school students nationwide.

It said 260,699 Chinese students, or 67.3 per cent, are enrolled in secondary schools under the Education Ministry, while the remaining 51,563 students, or 13.3 per cent, are studying in private education institutions.

The reply was in response to a...