Travel ban for ex-PM
Malaysia’s former prime minister has been barred from leaving the country after he suffered a surprise election defeat last week.
Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor were reportedly planning to fly to Indonesia by private jet for a short holiday, fuelling rumours that he was trying to flee Malaysia to escape possible prosecution over a massive corruption scandal.
“I’m here for now but I have to look for somewhere for a few weeks in the middle of summer when places are at a premium.
“They’re taking money from students when they don’t need to be here, then not letting them stay on – to take more money off tourists.”
His dad Derek, a business consultant, of Newton Mearns, Glasgow, said: “Elliot’s course is finished but they want money for the period when he’s not there.
“I had a conversation with people at student services and they were adamant they were doing the right thing.
“I think it’s unfair that they’re insisting on taking money off students who are already strapped for cash. “They know they can then fill the place during the summer with tourists – so students are not allowed to stay on over the summer. “They’re holding students to the contracts, then making rooms available on the internet. I think it’s unfair.”
A university spokeswoman said: “Our leases are independent of individual course dates, which vary from programme to programme.
“The university doesn’t offer accommodation to students who have no academic requirement to stay on campus during the summer vacation. But accommodation is
The National Union of Students Scotland called on the university to review rent contracts with their students.
The group’s president, Luke Humberstone, said: “Given the range of financial pressures students face, all our universities should be striving to keep the costs of study and living down.
“Across Scotland, institutions should be ensuring tenancy agreements are designed to f it with student needs and, wherever possible, show flexibility.”