MCA urges transparency, fair access to public varsities

The Star

5 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya should postpone its intake under its Saluran Terbuka Uni­versiti Awam (Satu) and suspend the planned fee hike for its Bachelor of Medicine and Bache­lor of Surgery (MBBS) and other courses, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Raising concerns over affordability and fairness in public medical education, Dr Wee urged the Higher Education Ministry to act to protect students from low- and middle-income families, particularly those unable to secure places through the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) system.
(The UPU is a centralised government admission platform used by Malaysia's public universities, while Satu is an alternative pathway for students to apply directly to UM.)
'We are calling for an immediate halt to the Satu intake until all issues are clarified. The proposed RM500,000 fee for the 2025/2026 MBBS intake is alarming and must be postponed,' Dr Wee said.
Other steep hikes for critical courses should also be withheld, he told a press conference at Wisma MCA yesterday.
The MCA also released a paper titled 'Two Channels, One Future: Ensuring Fair Access to Universiti Malaya's Medical Programmes and Other Critical Courses' which is available online.
According to student unions, tuition fees for the MBBS programme will go up to RM500,000 for the 2025/2026 intake. This is a 67% increase compared to the 2024/2025 session.
Dr Wee said the rising financial burden and the lack of transparency in public university admissions are national issues affecting all Malaysians.
The MCA outlined five key ­recommendations to the government to safeguard access for ­students from B40 and M40 families.
First, it called for a freeze on Satu intakes and fee increases, along with an independent audit of Satu's cost structure to justify the disparities compared to other public and private institutions.
The party also sought full disclosure of the rationale behind the fee hike.
'We need a clear explanation. Without transparency, medical education risks becoming a privilege for the wealthy,' Dr Wee said.
Second, MCA is urging greater openness in admissions. It wants a breakdown of student intakes by qualification – such as Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), matriculation, foundation and diploma – for competitive programmes like medicine.
It also called for the UPU's CGPA standardisation algorithm to be published, along with annual reports on Satu and UPU admissions and resource allocation.
To address limited seats, the third recommendation called for an expansion of subsidised UPU intakes for medicine and other essential fields, with a reallocation of resources in Budget 2026 and the 13th Malaysia Plan to prioritise healthcare and education.
'Over-reliance on fee-paying students via Satu undermines the role of public universities,' Dr Wee said.
Fourth, MCA proposed governance reforms for the dual admission system, including independent oversight of Satu to curb commercialisation and uphold merit-based entry. It also suggested capping fee-paying seats in flagship programmes.
Lastly, Dr Wee said the UPU assessment framework must be reviewed to ensure fairness for STPM students, taking into account the academic rigours and duration of the programme.
'These students deserve fair treatment. The system should not penalise them for choosing a more demanding path,' he added.