KUALA LUMPUR – Fifteen former postgraduate students of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) are seeking RM7.5 million from the institution after the government revoked accreditation for their courses.
In a letter of demand sighted by The Vibes, LUCT was given 14 days to pay RM500,000 per student for the alleged damages incurred.
The former students also threatened the university with legal action if their demand was not met.
The group, represented by the legal firm Fernandez & Selvarajah, are from Iran, Bangladesh, Comoros, Pakistan, Nigeria, Senegal, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Gambia.
According to the letter dated May 11 this year, the former students discovered the university had lost its accreditation from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) in 2020, stripping their postgraduate degrees of global recognition.
The courses taken by the former students included the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management, Masters in Business Administration (MBA in Project Management), and Masters in Entrepreneurship courses, the letter stated.
Upon checking with LUCT, the former students claimed they were told the matter was being addressed with MQA and accreditation would be restored when they graduate.
The university, they claimed, also promised to resolve the issue by April or July 2021, but the deadline was later pushed back to September 2021.
The accreditation was never obtained, they claimed, and many of them went on to graduate, and return to their home countries.
Told to switch courses
The former students also alleged that those who pursued the MBA in Project Management course were asked to switch to an alternative and “restructured” MBA programme.
However, they declined the offer as they were already in the last semester of the programme, and because the new course was not accredited as well.
A former PhD in Management student also alleged she was asked to enrol for another unaccredited programme, despite higher fees and credit transfer costs, and “threats” over visa renewals.
Some of the former students claimed their visa statuses were put in jeopardy as they had overstayed and required to obtain special exit passes to leave Malaysia.
Of the fifteen former students named in the letter, three dropped out from their courses, while two others did not graduate.
The rest of them had graduated, but later discovered their postgraduate degrees were not accredited by MQA.
Furthermore, the graduates in the group claim the university asked for additional fees to have their certificates posted, apart from other resource fees.
Apart from emotional distress and difficulties in gaining employment, the former students claim they faced the humiliation of facing parents and relatives when they returned home without an accredited degree.
Spokesman Asal Tarmighi said sending the letter was a relief as the former students had incurred significant financial losses.
Tarmighi said she hoped “justice would be done” in the case.
The same firm representing another group of students filed a RM1.17 million suit over loss of accreditation in November 2021.
Ten undergraduate students had sued over the revocation of accreditation for their Bachelor of Cloud Computer Technology course. – The Vibes, May 30, 2022
