Resolve UUM student housing crisis, urges PKR lawmaker

KUALA LUMPUR – Bakar Arang assemblyman Simon Ooi has called upon the Higher Education Ministry and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) to quickly resolve the housing and accommodation problems faced by nearly a thousand students at the institution.

In a statement today, the PKR lawmaker said that this is an urgent matter, as the students will begin classes this Sunday.

Apparently, lodging applications have been made since August, but many of the students have not received any concrete replies.

“When the students asked the university regarding the status of their dormitory applications, the replies they received said that their application is still in process, and they were asked to be patient.

“Seeing that classes will begin this Sunday, students have already returned to campus on Thursday to register. 

“However, many students have not received any dormitory or accommodations and were forced to squat in their friends’ room, mosques, surau, or the corridors.

“This should not have happened in a higher learning institution…the management has allowed students to sleep out in the open, where they are exposed to multiple risks and dangerous situations, reflecting the university’s irresponsible management,” said Ooi.

He explained that UUM is located in Sintok, which is a rural area with a lack of rental homes.

As a result, UUM students have no choice but to live in the university’s dormitories.

The politician pointed out that this is the first time in history that UUM had failed to accommodate its students. It may have bitten more than it can chew when it took in new students without proper planning, he said.

Ooi called on the university to resolve the matter as soon as possible and inform the students whether their applications were successful, adding that UUM must secure living spaces for their students as soon as possible.

“If the university cannot resolve this issue, I suggest that UUM implement digital or online learning for the time being until the accommodation problem has been resolved,” he said, while criticising the Higher Education Ministry for its failure in preparing for new student intakes in multiple universities. – The Vibes, October 15, 2022