Wee: Tuition fees adjustment allowed every three years

PETALING JAYA: Private higher learning institutions are allowed to adjust their tuition fees every three years as provided for by the law, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 allows for this, and the approval given by the Education Ministry will provide details on the maximum tuition fees that the institutions are allowed to charge, said Dr Wee.

The increase is to support the operational cost and expansion plans as well as to counter the effects of inflation, he said.

“Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching is an unprofessional politician who only shares half-truths on the application of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) to increase its tuition fees.

“I have to stress here that TAR UC has never charged students beyond the cap approved by the ministry, not to mention that the tuition fees of TAR UC are known to be cheaper than other IPTS (private higher education institutions),” he said on Facebook yesterday.

Dr Wee was referring to a recent statement by Teo that TAR UC submitted an application to raise tui- tion fees on Oct 23.

Dr Wee said a three-year degree course in Advertising, for example, costs only RM29,965 for 2018 in TAR UC, while the existing cap set by the ministry is RM36,000.

He pointed out to Teo that the application to increase the cap is different from the issue of receiving matching grants from the government.

“If the federal government allocates an annual operating fund between RM30mil and RM60mil to TAR UC, the university can charge way below the ceiling price approved by the Education Ministry,” Dr Wee said.

In Budget 2019, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng did not allocate any annual matching grant for TAR UC. Matching grants are used for operating expenses and thus help to keep tuition fees low. TAR UC had been receiving matching grants from the government yearly since 1969.

The matching grant is a commitment made to MCA by the previous Barisan Nasional-led administration to ensure that these institutions continue to offer quality education to youths.

Dr Wee also urged Pakatan Harapan to focus on advancing national development and spend less energy on politicising education.

“My advice to YB Teo is to refer to DAP’s statements on the enrolment into public universities and federal allocation for TAR UC when it was in the Opposition.

“Bullying TAR UC is political revenge that will only harm the institution that has trained 200,000 students in the country,” he added.

TAR UC is owned by TARC Education Foundation. Dr Wee is the foundation’s board of trustees chairman.