‘Desperate measures due to overcapacity’

KUALA LUMPUR: An overcapacity of institutions of learning has caused some to take desperate measures to survive, including being unethical in their operations, said Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh.

“When there is an overcapacity, some will be tempted to do things just to survive. We have to look at the number of places to study versus the demand. In terms of competition, it has always been there, but when it becomes unhealthy, it takes a turn for the worse,” he said, commenting on the closure of 33 private colleges this year.

He said an example of desperation was when private institutions gave heavy discounts to students upon enrolment, which exposed them to financial difficulties. When this happened, these institutions experience a downward spiral and were forced to shut down naturally or by force, he added.

He said some colleges were forced to close because of nonfulfilment of conditions and regulations set by the Higher Education Ministry.

He said there were institutions that operated solely on an income angle, adding that such institutions should not exist, and the ministry would have to come up with new regulations to safeguard the industry.

“For us who are doing it by the book, we want to see unethical practices behind us.

“A good rating system like MyQUEST (Malaysian Quality Evaluation System for Private Colleges) puts the right kind of pressure on institutions.

“Though it (the system) is not perfect, the ministry will make improvements and find a middle ground.

“I am happy that the ministry has taken action against unethical institutions.”

On the effects of having unethical private colleges, Parmjit said he was concerned mostly for foreign students, as local students could check the status of colleges and not continue their studies if a college was unethical.