KUALA LUMPUR – The sudden postponement of the registration programmes at higher education institutions have pushed many students to reach out for assistance via social media.
The #TolongBantu initiative went viral on Twitter as Malaysians are offering assistance to students stuck on campus.
“Dear students, please reach me in my DM if you need some cash to pay for your bus tickets/fuel/food/temporary lodging/topup etc InsyaAllah I will try to help whatever I could," Twitter user @rxisyx posted.
The youth-led party Muda also initiated a crowdfunder last night with the aim of helping students.
It was announced on Muda’s Twitter page that they garnered RM50,000 in only three hours.
Bersatu’s youth wing Armada also reached out to help students via its Twitter platform.
Other trending topics are #RakyatJagaRakyat, #SiswaJagaSiswa and #MenteriKPTSilaLetakJawatan.
The postponement is said to be done in light of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases. But students are complaining that the decision was done at the very last minute as many of them are already on campus.
“I recommend that the minister of higher education resign from her position because she has failed to make a smart decision since last semester. This last-minute decision is causing problems for many parties, as many have travelled far just to perform their registration,” tweeted @maidatul_addida.
In light of the complaints, Higher Education Minister Datuk Noraini Ahmad released a statement on Facebook earlier today saying that her ministry has taken into account the complaints by students and parents, but the decision was made after consulting the National Security Council and the Ministry of Health.
“For students that have already arrived on campus, you can continue staying on campus.
“For those that are still at home, I urge you to postpone plans to travel back to campus,” she said. – The Vibes, October 3, 2020
