KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — The 425 displaced students from a now-defunct Penang medical college will be given spots in six different private institutions in order to ensure the stipulated 1:8 teacher to student ratio is not compromised, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham said.

The Health Ministry director-general was reported saying in The Star that the decision was reached by both his and the Education Ministry, after considering the necessary procedures that needed to be complied with at these colleges.

“The teacher and student ratio should be 1:8,” he was quoted saying in a press statement yesterday.

“Some of the procedures they have to follow are number of trainers they have, ability of the institutions concerned to provide learning facilities and other facilities required in accordance with applicable accreditation standards.”

The six selected institutions are the Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (86 students); AIMST University (81); UniKL Royal College of Medicine of Perak (66); Melaka Manipal Medical College (99); MAHSA University (79) and SEGI University (14).

Earlier this week, the students’ parents held a press conference to urge the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) to ensure the scholars can continue in their chosen fields and not lose credits earned from their previous studies.

Representing some 700 parents of 420 former students of Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS), Kepala Batas in Penang, Azman Tahir urged the regulator to be fair when it makes it decision on the placements tomorrow.

He further asked that MMC ensure that students are absorbed into accredited institutions that are sufficiently equipped and with a 1:8 lecturer to student ratio.

“We are hoping for a fair decision from MMC. The students were supposed to be informed of their new institution in October but it didn’t happen. So we hope MMC will act decisively this time,” he said to reporters.

AUCMS was shut down on October 15, due to financial difficulties leaving some 420 students in a state of limbo.

Since then, both parents and students have been waiting to know the future of their education.