Wee to Lim: Focus on improving nation’s economy

‘Guan Eng should stay out of education issues’

PETALING JAYA: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng should stop meddling with higher education issues and focus on improving the country’s economy and reduce fuel prices, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said.

Writing on Facebook, the MCA president said he felt compelled to expose Lim’s lopsided statement and set the record straight.

Refuting Lim on Tunku Abdul Rahman University College’s (TAR UC) matching grant issue, Dr Wee said many were unaware that private higher learning institutions would apply to increase the tuition fee cap limit and not the actual fee.

“For example, the fee cap of a three-year advertising course is RM36,000 but TAR UC’s fees for that particular course is RM29,965,” he said.

Almost every private higher learning institution, he said, would adjust their fees within the fee cap limit, which they could apply to raise once every three years.

“There is no exception for TAR UC. Based on the latest statistics by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), employees’ salary adjustment for this year is at 4.88%.

“Regardless of Lim slashing the matching grant or not, the fees will still be adjusted every year due to inflation, development plans, changes in marketing and salary struc- ture for lecturers.

“Following Lim’s decision to cut the matching grant to zero on Nov 2, TAR UC’s financial pressure has increased exponentially and has to further adjust its fees.

“How it works is clear cut and Lim and (Deputy Education Minister) Teo Nie Ching should understand,” he said, calling on both to stop bullying TAR UC, which had benefited the Chinese community.

Dr Wee also criticised Lim for constantly avoiding his questions in the past month.

“He still owes me answers to my questions. First, to provide evidence where MCA has jeopardised TAR UC’s academic freedom.

“Secondly, if he agrees that ‘education should purely be education’, why is he not opposing religious schools that combine education and religion? Is this a form of double standard?” he said.

Dr Wee said fees at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) which is owned by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) were much higher than TAR UC.

“Take a four-year accounting course for example. UniKL’s fees is RM72,000 while TAR UC only charges RM46,300.

“However, in Budget 2019, Lim still allocated RM24.6mil for UniKL whereas TAR UC got nothing in matching grant,” he said.