Are  information from Ministry of Higher Education about students who failed to get places in public universities being sold to the private sector?

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Monday) I have received information raising the question whether information from the Ministry of Higher Education about students who failed to get places in the public universities are being sold to the public sector.

This is an email which I have today  received from a reliable source:

“Is MOHE Selling Information?

“Over the weekend, two friends of mine received something peculiar in the mail. Having failed to enter any of the local public universities, with their appeal pending, both received offer letters from one Kolej Universiti Teknologi dan Pengurusan Malaysia (KUTPM). The “conditional offer” invites one to pursue a degree in any of the nine courses offered ranging from a Bachelor in Education to Law and Commerce. Written entirely in English, a colorful and beautifully-worded pamphlet promotes the university college as the “first specialized university” of Malaysia.

“The nationalistic name of KUTPM is curiously similar to those of bona fide public institutions like Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan Melaka and Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia. Coupled with the temporal relationship of the on-going appeal process, one might easily be mistaken that one is finally accepted into a public institution of higher learning following a successful appeal. In helpless situations, it is not preposterous to assume that unsuspecting students might unwittingly rush into accepting the generous offer from KUTPM, only to end up being deceived.

“A closer scrutiny however, reveals the true picture.

“Conventionally, public institutions of higher learning conduct their correspondence entirely in Bahasa Malaysia and offer successful candidates a specific course, not an enter-then-choose-later scenario. In addition, KUTPM is registered as KUTPM Holdings Sdn. Bhd, implying it is a privately-owned company with a mission to generate profits. The tuition fees averaged RM 250 per credit hour, a figure far higher than any public university. The university college also volunteers to arrange for PTPTN aid to students who are qualified, an act not generally practiced by the average private colleges. 

“It is highly unlikely to be plain coincidence when two students awaiting the outcome of their appeal receive offer letters from the same institution in little more than a week after failing to enter a public university.

“Amongst others, the most important question in the midst of this is how KUTPM obtained the information of students who have failed to enter public universities? Is someone within the Ministry of Higher Esucation selling information that is supposed to be private and confidential? I wonder how many of the 34,000 students who were not accepted into public universities received similar offers. I wonder how many will be taken in by the apparent success of their appeal.”

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mustapha  Mohamad should conduct a full investigation and give an appropriate response.

(10/07/2006)