KOTA KINABALU – Around 100 students from a former semi-state government academy here are in a quandary as they cannot graduate after completing their courses as the institution abruptly closed in 2020.
The students had completed the Malaysian Skill Courses levels II and III in animation, photography, and videography programmes at the Sabah Animation Creative Academy between 2019 and 2020.
The academy was a project under Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia), a state-linked entity tasked with planning for the Sabah Development Corridor.
But the academy’s closure before their graduation scheduled for 2021 has left them without academic transcripts and paper qualification needed to apply for jobs or pursue further education.
Nur Ardina Ain, a 21-year-old former student from the academy, told The Vibes of her disappointment after being turned down for a job as a scriptwriter at a government agency.
“I had all my future planned out, but without having the final exam transcripts, it seems my whole life has taken a detour from reaching my goals,” said Nur Ardina, who is now working as a sales assistant in an optical shop.
Another student, Hans Mohd Ameer, had hopes of moving on to do a diploma, but is unable to do so for lack of his transcripts.
He now works as a freelance photographer and videographer, as do most of his peers from the academy.
The academy was a project under Sedia and parked under the University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF), before it was returned to Sedia in 2018.
Courses ran for between 18 and 24 months, and all students received full sponsorships from the state Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
It was learnt that Sedia decided to close the academy on December 31, 2020, while some of its staff joined UCSF.
Leanne David, 23, who now works as an e-hailing driver, said students paid approximately RM250 as a one-time fee to enrol in the courses.
They then received sponsorships of close to RM2,000 each to undertake their studies, sponsored by the state EPU.
She added that the academy ran various enrollment initiatives, including newspaper advertisements, call-ins, and school open day booths, attracting around 100 students throughout 2019 and 2020.
The last batch of students in 2020 had a mere five months to prepare before taking the final exam in September 2020.
Some students did not have access to online classes but were still required to sit for their exams on short notice due to pandemic lockdowns.
According to Leanne, their last day at the academy was in October 2020.
The Vibes has contacted Sedia for comments but has not received any response to the students’ complaints. – The Vibes, July 26, 2023
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