Dr Wee: UM medical tuition hike a barrier for qualified B40 students
KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya's medical tuition fees, which have gone up for the 2025/2026 intake, have come under fire by student unions and MCA.
'The sharp hike risks shutting out academically qualified but poor B40 students from pursuing degrees in medicine and other critical fields,' said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
'Are we now saying that children from less privileged backgrounds do not deserve to become doctors or pursue critical fields? Is the medical profession now reserved exclusively for the wealthy?' he asked during a press conference yesterday.
Tuition fees for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme have increased to RM500,000 for the 2025/2026 intake. This marks a jump from RM299,200 in the 2024/2025 session.
These numbers were provided in a video from three months ago by Universiti Malaya Student Union (UMSU) student representative Lee Yu Dong, who is also an activist with the University Malaya Association of New Youth.
Lee said that the high costs could lead to inequality in access to professional degrees.
In another TikTok video posted around the same time, Jelyn Ong, who is a UMSU medical faculty student representative, said that access to public medical education is being shaped by one's ability to pay instead of academic performance.
Speaking up: Dr Wee (seated, second from right) urging the government to uphold education rights for B40 children at a press conference. Also present were Chong (seated, second from left), Wong (right), and Leong (left). — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
Dr Wee said yesterday that MCA was concerned about recent developments in Malaysia's higher education landscape, especially policies that appear to marginalise children from low-income families.
'It is disheartening that public universities are being seen as increasingly selective towards students from high-income families. This raises questions about the fairness of the meritocracy we claim to uphold,' he said.
He also took issue with UM's admission channel known as Saluran Terbuka Universiti Malaya (Satu).
According to him, students who secured a place via UPU – the centralised government admission platform – are charged only RM15,000 for the same five-year programme.
The Satu channel is an alternative pathway for students to apply directly to UM, bypassing the primary UPU system used by Malaysia's public universities.
It caters to students who missed the UPU deadline, were not offered a place or wished to apply with alternative qualifications like A-Levels or diplomas.
The criteria for enrolment in degree programmes differ between UPU and Satu channels. For UPU, applicants need a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00-3.80, with a higher threshold of 3.80 for competitive courses like MBBS.
Accepted qualifications include Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), Matriculation, Asasi UM, or equivalent such as A-Levels with AAA grades or IB with 36 points. Additionally, candidates must meet specific subject requirements, such as an A- in Biology, Chemistry and Physics/Mathematics for MBBS.
Satu maintains similar academic standards but offers flexibility for non-current-year qualifications. For Malaysians applying to MBBS through Satu, a CGPA of 3.80 is required.
Referring to UM's annual reports, Dr Wee pointed out that enrolment through Satu had risen from just 142 in 2018 to 399 in 2022.
Citing data from the Higher Education Ministry, he said that nearly 60% of applicants to public universities in 2022 came from B40 households.
'What kind of message are we sending to this majority? That unless you can pay half a million ringgit, you have no future in medicine?' he asked.
He warned that academic performance alone may no longer guarantee a place at public universities if wealth becomes the new gatekeeper.
Also present at yesterday's press conference were MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon, Wanita MCA chairperson Datuk Wong You Fong, and committee member Datuk Leong Kok Wee.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
New feline front in Sarawak's rabies battle but complacency is greatest enemy
THE menace of human rabies in Sarawak continues to dog efforts to contain and eradicate it. Since the first cases were detected in 2017, the potentially fatal outbreak usually caused through dog bites has unfortunately spread across the entire state. Several fatalities are reported each year. As if the potential for rabies to become endemic is not worrisome enough, the first cases of rabies from cat scratches have been reported. Kuching City South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng revealed in early April a rabies-positive case involving a cat out of eight cases state-wide from March 28 to April 6. Four of these rabies cases were reported in Kuching. Although the case involving a stray cat was by no means the first such case, Wee said it should alert people to be more vigilant against the disease. There have been campaigns to catch stray dogs and for the mass-vaccination of pet dogs so as to contain the spread of the disease in humans, but no similar campaigns of rounding up stray cats and vaccinating felines have taken place. The greatest enemy in the anti-rabies exercise may well be public complacency. Since reported cases of human infection are relatively few, the community is easily lulled into thinking the rabies scourge is contained. Greater resources ought to be committed towards creating greater general awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the importance of early treatment to avoid succumbing to it. With the horrors of the Covid-19 pandemic still fresh in public memory and the threat of the mass spread of life-threatening viruses becoming increasingly prevalent, efforts must be redoubled to nip potential new public-health crises in the bud. Although it is too late to put the rabies genie back into the bottle, lessons must be identified and remedies thought up so the state will be well-prepared for the next such public health threat. Perhaps the special high-level state ad-hoc committee that springs into action in the event of any public emergency, such as a natural or public-health disaster, needs to be institutionalised as a professionally run rapid-reaction agency that swiftly contains health threats. Kuching is not just famed for its ubiquitous cat statues but stray cats roaming its streets, sustained by residents leaving food for them. Cat-lovers — both locals and visitors — stop to admire the street felines, taking pictures with them and invariably even patting them. Should there be an uptick in cases of cat-borne rabies in Kuching or other parts of the state, public attention must be stepped up to highlight the health risks posed by public affection lavished on cats. It will, of course, be deeply disappointing if there comes the time when the animal that is Kuching's mascot gets closely associated with a dreaded disease. The public and officials alike must all do their utmost to avoid such a terrible eventuality. Unfortunately, complacency will only make that eventuality inevitable. Related Articles Nation Jan 22, 2025 @ 9:37am Sarawak enforces new anti-rabies vaccination order Nation Mar 29, 2025 @ 3:06am Sarawak records 11 new rabies cases in March Politics May 11, 2025 @ 2:36am Zahid to Umno: No room for complacency, bigger battles ahead Nation Apr 17, 2025 @ 8:00pm Promising results, but an uphill battle for 'climate warriors'
Borneo Post
8 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Former assemblyman, ex-newsreader named Sabah's Maal Hijrah Icons
Norsuadah (third left) with her family after receiving the Maal Hijrah Icon Award (Female Category) from Musa at the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration on Friday. The former newsreader, announcer and producer received RM20,000, a trophy and a certificate.-Bernama photo KOTA KINABALU (June 27): Former Banggi assemblyman Datuk Amir Kahar Tun Mustapha and former newsreader Datin Seri Panglima Nursuhadah Basah have been announced as Sabah's Maal Hijrah Icons for 1447H/2025M. The awards were presented by Sabah's Head of State, Tun Musa Aman, here today. Amir, born on February 16, 1950, inherited the fighting spirit of his late father, Tun Datu Mustapha, in championing the welfare of Sabah's people. Armed with qualifications from the London Business School and Harvard School of Business, he established himself in state politics, serving five terms as an assemblyman and three terms as a Member of Parliament. The pinnacle of his career saw him appointed as Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, with an outstanding record in advocating rural development, indigenous land rights, and regional economic cooperation through the Sabah and Palawan Co-operation Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the field of Islamic propagation (dakwah), he continued his father's harmonious approach, strengthening state Islamic institutions and promoting a more open, scholarly and unifying model of dakwah in Sabah. Meanwhile, Datin Seri Panglima Nursuhadah Basah, born on August 31, 1953, began her career as a newsreader, broadcaster and program producer from 1973 to 1978. She later entered politics as a nominated assemblywoman and then as Assistant Minister of Community Welfare and Unity in Sabah. She has been active in Sabah's Muslim women's religious organizations, leading and coordinating religious, welfare and educational programs for women. Her commitment is also evident in her roles as a committee member of MUBARAK Sabah and patron of the Hj Salleh Mosleh Mosque. As a charismatic Muslim woman leader, she has amplified women's voices in policy-making and da'wah program management, reflecting her authority as a prominent female Islamic figure in Sabah. Her contributions have been recognized with the Ahli Darjah Kinabalu (1983) and Ahli Setia Darjah Kinabalu (2000) awards. The selection of these two icons highlights their steadfast roles in reinforcing Islamic values, defending the people's welfare, and fostering inclusive societal well-being in Sabah.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Pahang allocates RM500k for Orang Asli home repairs
KUANTAN: The Pahang government has set aside RM500,000 to repair the homes of Tok Batin (village chiefs) and Orang Asli communities across the state. The decision follows inspections revealing several houses in poor condition requiring immediate attention. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the funding reflects the state's commitment to inclusive development. 'No community should be left behind. We've tasked Pahang Orang Asli Corporation Sdn Bhd (Oraco) to identify homes needing urgent repairs,' he stated during the Apa Khabar Orang Kita Carnival launch at Yayasan Pahang Complex. Separately, Wan Rosdy announced an RM11 million increase for the Kasih Makmur Health Card programme. The RM500-per-recipient cards allow seniors and persons with disabilities to access private clinics, reducing reliance on government hospitals. 'This ensures faster medical care,' he added.
