KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — Education Minister Maszlee Malik has instructed University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to settle the exorbitant fees issued highlighted by a group of 40 students who had gathered at Parliament today to protest.
Maszlee said he had met with the student “a couple of months ago” and had promised them that their issue would be resolved.
“I got the UTM admin to sit down with the students and I told UTM to handle this case properly.
“I was told about their demonstration outside parliament earlier but we are so busy occupied with budget, but I communicated with UTM or MJIIT (Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology) admin to look into the matter, and to follow whatever instructions given to them earlier in dealing with students,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
The students gathered outside Parliament building here this afternoon demanding a meeting with the education minister ahead of the tabling of Budget 2020.
The students numbering about 20 were from the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), a faculty under UTM established in 2010 by the Malaysian and Japanese governments.
They held up banners printed with a message stating “UTM Liar” and “Stop fee hike”, drawing attention from passing MPs and civil servants entering the compound.
Meanwhile, Maszlee also promised that the Malaysia education system will be enhanced as intended.
He was responding to a question on his ministry receiving RM64 billion, the biggest allocation from the overall RM297.02 billion 2020 budget.
“It comes with big responsibility and it comes with a sense of integrity, so on my part, the priority is to make sure that every single cent that been budgeted for education will reach the targeted parties,” he said.
