KUALA LUMPUR – While the university’s move to relax its fee policy comes as welcoming, the Universiti Malaya Students’ Union (UMSU) reiterated its call for better student welfare management.
UMSU general executive Muhammad Noraiman Zulkifli warned that the union will not back down from its stand on welfare issues, saying that comprehensive measures are a must to protect student welfare.
“We welcome Universiti Malaya’s (UM) decision to withdraw its Zero Balance Policy. However, we sternly warn the institution to not fool around with student welfare matters.
“UMSU will not hesitate to protest again,” he told The Vibes.
Meanwhile, UMSU president Ooi Go Shen said tertiary institutions should consult with student representatives before making significant policy changes or decisions pertaining to students.
“Discussions on student welfare can be done in a town hall session or a meeting with the union.
“The institution only took action after students and the union voiced out against the fee policy in the memoranda.”
UMSU is expected to have a meeting with the Higher Education Ministry in Putrajaya to discuss its rental house programme that mainly affects students in the low-income groups.
In a statement today, the union reiterated its call for UM to open at least four levels in residential college number 13 as soon as possible to increase accommodation capacity.
UM has agreed to relax the fee policy, which applies to undergraduates who do not owe fees from the previous semesters.
Undergraduates who cleared their tuition fees last semester are allowed to register for the 2022/2023 Semester 1 on the condition that they pay for the new session before the exam season.
The university came under fire after UMSU warned of another protest if UM’s management did not reverse its new policy on tuition fees. Its Zero Balance Policy requires students to pay their tuition fees in full in order to maintain “active” status.
On August 10, UMSU slammed the university for its eleventh-hour policy change when they delivered a memorandum on the matter.
The union made a total of three demands in the memorandum, which covered student fees, housing problems, and welfare.
It also asked that students funded by National Higher Education Fund loans, the Public Service Department, and other scholarships should be allowed to keep attending classes while waiting for their funding to be credited into their accounts. – The Vibes, August 19, 2022
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