By Yussof J. imbang
KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah government leader today called for the government to impose conditions on subsidised recipients of student admission fees to public universities (UA) because it is seen as unfair to low-income students.
Member of the Legislative Assembly (ADUN), Kuamut, Datuk Masiung Banah, asked the Ministry of Higher Education to draw up guidelines as a prerequisite for the aid because it is also enjoyed by the children of the aristocracy and influential.
In his statement today, he insisted that it is very unfair that the children of famous businessmen, political leaders, and high-ranking civil servants get the subsidy facility, which he considers to be erroneous leakage.
“Subsidy or scholarship offers should have a clear framework and a selection process, where the deserving groups need to be helped so that the gap between the rich and the poor can be bridged.
“I saw the distribution of student fee subsidies being pioneered by students who are the children of the rich due to the influence of their parents’ wealth, while the children of the poor are just pioneers behind.
“This is not fair in the defence of a country, and it needs to be changed because B40 students who are brilliant and talented in education have a narrow space compared to the rich,” he stressed.
Masiung urged the state and federal governments to create a new framework for the subsidy to be presented in the cabinet so that the people see the government today as being fair to the poor.
The vice president of the Sabah People’s Ideas Party (Gagasan Rakyat) said that the majority of tuition fee subsidies are borne by the government for bachelor’s and diploma-level courses at UA, which are also enjoyed by the children of the aristocracy and notables.
He gave an example: the tuition fee for Bachelor of Software Engineering at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) costs RM88,152 for a four-year study period, but through the subsidy, students only have to pay RM7,520.
The subsidy covers all students entering the 2024/2025 academic year, including those from high-income families.
Meanwhile, Berita Harian yesterday reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also hinted that university fee subsidies for the children of the rich may be stopped.
