Latest news with #RM15
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
M'sian woman torn over leaving boyfriend earning RM3k buried in debt
A Malaysian woman has sparked debate online after anonymously confessing her dilemma about whether to end a relationship with her boyfriend, who is struggling with severe debt. In a post on X by @meinmokhtar, the 30-year-old woman submitted an anonymous confession in which she revealed that her boyfriend's monthly loan repayments exceed his salary of only RM3,000. 'Would I be a bad person if I left my boyfriend who has been blacklisted by the bank? Before we started dating, he told me he owned two houses, and after three months, he revealed that his monthly loan repayments are higher than his salary. His name is also listed with the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK),' she wrote. She also disclosed that she earns a monthly salary of RM15,000. Her anonymous confession has drawn mixed reactions from netizens — some sympathising with her concerns, others questioning the role of financial transparency in relationships. One user speculated that the boyfriend may be dating her in the hopes that she will eventually help pay off his loans, and urged her to leave him. 'I sometimes wonder if people ever properly discuss their financial plans before getting into a relationship. Being transparent about your finances is just as important,' one netizen commented. 'You should leave him before the relationship becomes too serious. If you marry him, you might end up paying most of the bills simply because you earn significantly more,' another advised.
The Star
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Deserving students priced out
Cause for concern: Dr Wee (centre) showing a list of courses run by several public universities with higher tuition fees offered through the open entry route during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. With him are (from left) MCA Youth national exco Tay Kok Wea, Wanita MCA Beliawanis chief Ivonne Low Yi Wen, Wanita MCA deputy chief Tee Hooi Ling and Wanita MCA Selangor Beliawanis bureau chief Joclyn Leong Fong Yi. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: The rising reliance on direct or open entry routes into public universities is drawing criticism for creating financial barriers that exclude deserving students, especially those from underprivileged and middle-income backgrounds. 'We must re-evaluate this system when public universities begin to act like private institutions, moving away from their noble goal of helping bright students, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds, succeed,' MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said at a press conference yesterday. He said the issue now extends beyond Universiti Malaya (UM), as other institutions such as Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia are also adopting similar practices. Dr Wee said the way these open channels operate is concerning, as it prioritises financial capability over academic merit, undermining the foundational ethos of public education. On Tuesday, Dr Wee highlighted UM's sharp fee increase under its Saluran Terbuka Universiti Malaya direct admission channel. For the 2025/2026 session, fees for medical and other critical courses soared by 67.1%, rising from RM299,200 to RM500,000. In contrast, students entering via the government-subsidised UPUOnline channel pay only RM15,000 for the same programme. Dr Wee noted that many parents had contacted him to share their concerns after he brought attention to the UM case. 'Their children applied through the UPUOnline system, only to receive an acceptance offer contingent on paying up to RM300,000 through the open channel. 'This financial burden is insurmountable for most families, turning what should be a joyous occasion into one of despair,' he said. Dr Wee stressed that public universities are funded by taxpayers, with Parliament approving annual budgets to cover staff salaries and operational costs. While acknowledging that the funding may not be sufficient for all development expenses, he said this should not come at the expense of deserving students who qualify through the UPUOnline system. Citing a previous parliamentary reply, Dr Wee said 19% to 40% of public university placements now come from open channels, highlighting a systemic issue that could erode the very foundation of Malaysia's public education system. 'I firmly believe that UPUOnline should remain the primary and most important channel for enrolment in public universities. 'This ensures admissions are based on merit rather than financial ability, thus promoting social mobility and allowing underprivileged students to transform their lives through quality and affordable education,' he said. The current trajectory, he warned, risks turning the education system into an elitist one, where only the financially privileged can access quality education. Dr Wee said the total cost of completing a medical degree at a public university has surged from about RM300,000 to over RM500,000, exceeding the fees charged by some private institutions. 'Similar hikes of 20% to 30% have been observed in other professional courses like law, raising questions as to whether public universities still prioritise talent development or have shifted towards a quasi-private model. 'While direct admissions can exist, public universities should expand their intake instead of using slots meant for UPUOnline students,' he said. Dr Wee urged the government to establish a royal commission of inquiry to review these practices. 'We cannot allow financial capability to replace academic merit in determining university admissions. 'The government should intervene immediately to prevent further inequality in access to higher education. 'It should remain a public right, not a privilege,' he said, calling for the open channel intake to be halted.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
High public uni fees pricing out deserving students, says Dr Wee
KUALA LUMPUR: The increasing use of direct or open entry routes into public universities is raising concerns over high costs that are progressively pricing out deserving students from underprivileged and middle-income backgrounds. "We must re-evaluate this system when public universities begin to act commercially, deviating from their original noble goal of ensuring that bright students—especially those from low-income families—are allowed to succeed," said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong at a press conference here. The MCA president highlighted the growing trend of public universities offering courses through open channels at exorbitant tuition fees. "This issue extends beyond Universiti Malaya. Other universities like USM, UKM, UPM, UTM, and UUM are following similar practices. "The shift towards these open channels is concerning, as it prioritises financial capability over academic merit, undermining the foundational ethos of public education," he said. On Tuesday (June 24), Dr Wee highlighted the sharp increase in UM's medicine and other critical field degrees fees for the 2025/2026 intake under its direct admission channel, Saluran Terbuka Universiti Malaya (Satu), which rose by 67.1% to RM500,000 from RM299,200 the previous year. In contrast, students admitted through the UPUOnline channel, which is government-subsidised, pay only RM15,000 for the same programme. He questioned if this stark fee disparity discourages students from lower-income B40 and M40 groups. Dr Wee said that he received overwhelming feedback from parents who shared their distress after highlighting the UM case. "Many of their children applied through the UPUOnline system, only to receive an acceptance contingent upon paying up to RM300,000 via the open channel. "This financial burden is insurmountable for most families, turning what should be a joyous occasion into one of despair," he said. Dr Wee emphasised that public universities were funded by taxpayers, with the annual budget approved by Parliament specifically to cover the salaries of chancellors and staff, and to maintain the operational needs of these institutions. While acknowledging that the funding might not be sufficient for all developmental expenses, he said this should not come at the expense of deserving students who qualify through the UPUOnline system. According to a previous Parliamentary reply, Dr Wee said 19% to 40% of public university placements are now allocated through these open channels, revealing a systemic issue that undermines the foundational ethos of public education. "I firmly believe that UPUOnline should remain the main and utmost channel for enrolment in public universities. "This ensures admissions are based on merit rather than financial ability, thus promoting social mobility for underprivileged students to turn their lives around via quality and affordable education." He also warned that the current trajectory risks transforming the education system into an elitist one, where only financially privileged students can access quality education. Citing an example, Dr Wee said the total cost for completing a public university medical programme has soared from approximately RM300,000 to over RM500,000, surpassing fees at some local private universities. "Similar hikes of 20% to 30% have been seen in other professional courses like law, and this casts doubt on whether public universities still prioritise talent cultivation or have shifted towards a quasi-private model. "While direct admissions can be implemented, public universities should expand their intake rather than using slots meant for UPUOnline students," he said. Dr Wee called on the government to establish a royal commission of inquiry to review these practices guided by learned educationists, emphasising the need to uphold the role of public universities in fostering talent and offering upward mobility through education. "We cannot allow financial capability to replace academic merit in determining university admissions. The government should intervene immediately to prevent further inequality in higher education access," he said, adding that the open channel intake should be halted. "Our public universities should remain bastions of opportunity, where students are admitted based on their abilities and potential, not their financial standing. "I hope the government takes decisive action to stop this trend and safeguard the future of higher education in Malaysia. It should remain a public right rather than becoming a privilege," he added.
The Star
a day ago
- Health
- The Star
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.
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Yong Tai acquires Sabah-based Sumberjaya Builders for RM15m, targets quick turnaround on development projects
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia main market-listed Yong Tai Bhd has entered into a conditional share sale agreement to acquire the entire equity stake in Sabah-based Sumberjaya Builders Sdn Bhd for RM15 million. This strategic acquisition marks Yong Tai's entry into Sabah's property market with a steady growth outlook, further diversifying the group's earnings stream and enhancing future profitability. Through this acquisition, Yong Tai will undertake two promising joint-venture projects that Sumberjaya has already secured in Sabah. The two projects are the Lahad Datu project, spanning approximately 11.97 acres. This project features a mixed development of shop lots, terrace houses, and walk-up flats. The Lahad Datu project is estimated to carry a gross development value (GDV) of RM70.12 million and is expected to generate a development profit of RM10.80 million. Construction is anticipated to commence in Q3 of 2025 and be completed by Q3 of 2028. Secondly, Yong Tai will also undertake the Tawau Project, which is situated on approximately 15.25 acres. This development includes both commercial and residential units, offering an estimated GDV of RM106.58 million and projected to deliver a development profit of RM29.78 million. The Tawau project is scheduled to commence in Q4 2025, with completion targeted for Q4 2030. Yong Tai CEO and executive director Datuk Wira Boo Kuang Loon stated that this acquisition significantly eases the company's cash flow pressure, particularly in comparison to the substantial upfront investments previously committed to projects such as Encore Melaka and Courtyard by Marriott Melaka. 'Unlike high-rise developments that require extensive capital and extended timelines, these new projects in Sabah allow Yong Tai to realise profits swiftly and sustainably, strengthening our financial position and enhancing returns to our stakeholders,' he said in a statement. Yong Tai's strategic acquisition reflects careful consideration of market potential, profitability, and minimal upfront capital requirements. Importantly, the landowners for both projects will receive their entitlements via completed property units, significantly easing the group's immediate cash flow burdens. This acquisition complements Yong Tai's ongoing development portfolio, which includes the Impression U-Thant in Kuala Lumpur, nearing completion in Q3 2025, and The Dawn @ Impression City Melaka, undertaken through a joint venture arrangement and scheduled for completion by Q4 2027. The expansion into Sabah not only broadens the group's geographic footprint but also ensures a balanced project pipeline for sustainable long-term growth. The RM15 million purchase price will be paid in three equal parts, which will help maintain steady finances and support a good cash flow. Payments will only be made after due diligence checks have been completed and all required conditions have been met.
