Mah: Govt cuts will affect fees
Underprivileged students of UTAR and TAR UC will suffer the most
PETALING JAYA: Insisting the two universities founded by MCA must sever ties with the party before obtaining government funding will deprive students of affordable university fees, says MCA deputy president Datuk Mah Hang Soon (pic).
He criticised the recent statement by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, adding that the dream of attaining a higher education for many poor students will be unfulfilled if there is cutback in government funding.
Dr Mah said that Lim did not offer to help Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC), and victimised both institutions due to their relationship with MCA.
“The two institutions can never be equated with other private universities or colleges.
“They provide opportunities for many students who fail to enter local universities or who could not afford to further their studies abroad,” Mah said in a statement yesterday.
He said that over the years, many Chinese students, especially those from poor families have benefited from the affordable fees of the two institutions, adding they had also produced many talents for the nation.
He said this was seen when TAR UC’s teaching and academic performance were enhanced when it was upgraded to university college status.
Lim, in insisting that MCA should sever ties with UTAR and TAR UC before the govern- ment provided more allocations for the two institutions, had said there must be a “clear separation between education and politics”.
On Thursday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had also expressed his disappointment over the Finance Ministry’s decision to not provide a matching grant for TAR UC that was approved by the Cabinet in 2012.
Lim had recently confirmed in Parliament that the government would only allocate RM5.5mil in development funds to TAR UC, instead of a RM30mil matching grant for capital expenditure.
Dr Wee had slammed Lim, saying that without being given a matching grant by the government, TAR UC would be forced to increase the tuition fees.
“Some may continue to whack and condemn MCA for whatever political reasons but it is our duty to ensure our younger generation receives good quality education through these institutions,” Dr Wee told reporters at the Parliament lobby.