Wee: TAR UC will remain with MCA
‘We will not cut ties even if govt refuses to allocate funds for its operating expenditure’
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will ensure Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) continues to provide good quality higher education for all even if the government refuses to allocate funds for its operating expenditure, said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The party president also said MCA would not sever links with TAR UC.
“We will not cut ties with TAR UC. We will not give up too, even if Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has decided not to allocate funds for the university college’s operating expenditure,” said Dr Wee.
Lim insisted MCA relinquish ownership of TAR UC and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) before the government provides more allocation for the two institutions.
He said the government would only allocate a RM5.5mil development fund for TAR UC, instead of a RM30mil matching grant.
Wee said TAR UC was founded by MCA, co-owned by the Chinese community and would stay this way for now and in the future.
“MCA played an important role when the college was founded. MCA members have been contributing all these years. They helped whenever the college needed funds. These contributions cannot be erased,” he told reporters after the MCA presidential council meeting.
Dr Wee also said the government has never stopped allocating funds for TAR UC’s operating expenditure for over 50 years.
“When TAR college attained its university-college status in 2013, the Cabinet proceeded with its financial assistance for TAR UC with a matching grant capped at RM60mil a year,” he said.
He said TAR UC was run professionally by its management team and had a proven track record.
“MCA did not bring politics into the college. It has the best scores for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) outside the United Kingdom,” he said.
He added that TAR UC would continue its plans to become a full-fledged university.
On a separate issue, Dr Wee said the party would not invite representatives from Umno, MIC or other Barisan Nasional component parties to attend its upcoming annual general assembly.
“We will only invite veteran members and Chinese guilds to attend,” he said.