Concerns over admission process remains unanswered, Dr Wee tells UM

The Star

29-06-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: The explanation given by Universiti Malaya (UM) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman about the Satu (Open Channel) route for MBBS admissions is inadequate, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
'The Vice-Chancellor's response completely sidesteps the key issue — how financial ability seems to override merit in the MBBS admissions under Satu.
'Instead of answering questions, he has raised even more troubling ones,' said the MCA president on Facebook on Sunday (June 29).
Dr Wee's criticism follows the VC's June 27 statement dismissing MCA's concerns as 'misleading'.
Dr Noor Azuan had said the dual channel approach was a strategic response for growing demand for limited placements in critical programmes such as medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
On the recent fee hikes for students under the Satu channel, he said the adjustments were necessary to reflect the actual cost of providing high-quality medical education, particularly clinical training, and the maintenance of teaching hospital facilities.
According to Dr Wee, the university failed to provide any data or evidence to refute MCA's claims, particularly on whether academically qualified students are being turned away under the UPU (centralised) route and then offered MBBS seats through Satu — if they can afford the RM300,000 fee.
'How many academically qualified STPM students were denied under UPU but later admitted via Satu simply because they could pay?
He said at end it only benefits those with deep pockets.
"This is the crux of the matter and it remains unanswered,' he said.
He then called on UM to publicly disclose the number of STPM students accepted into the MBBS programme via UPU and Satu since 2018 and whether the academic entry requirements are truly the same for both routes.
Dr Wee also said that UM must also disclose the number of students rejected under UPU who later received Satu offers.
Citing one specific case, Dr Wee revealed that a top student with excellent academic results was denied admission under UPU despite appeals but later offered the same MBBS seat via Satu — provided he could pay RM300,000.
"This is something out of reach for B40 and M40 families.
'This is not an isolated incident. MCA has evidence of multiple cases.
"Such situations show how the system discriminates against students from B40 and M40 families who cannot afford such fees,' said Dr Wee.
He further argued that comparing Satu to international models like UCAS in the UK or Australia's university system was misleading.
'Those systems offer financial aid and transparent data.
"Malaysia's Satu offers none of these protections. It's just pay — or be excluded.
'MCA never objected to having two admission pathways but we strongly oppose the structural discrimination that effectively excludes deserving students simply because they cannot pay RM300,000.
"That's not meritocracy but more of financial means which becomes the deciding factor,' he said.
Dr Wee reiterated MCA's call for the 2025/2026 MBBS intake through Satu to be suspended immediately and urged the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to conduct a thorough and transparent review of public university admission systems.
'In short, the Vice-Chancellor failed to counter MCA's core argument and only proved why this issue demands public scrutiny,' he said.