Govt approves RM40mil annual allocation for TAR UMT

(From left) TAR UMT Alumni Council chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, TAR UMT board of governors chairman Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai, TARC Education Foundation board of trustees chairman of the Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Deputy Finance Minister II Steven Sim Chee Keong. – AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: An annual allocation of RM40mil has been approved for the Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) by the Federal Government, says Anthony Loke.

In a press conference at TAR UMT on Tuesday (Jan 17), the Transport Minister said the allocation was approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister.

"This is an amount which has been agreed on and approved.

"The sum will be transferred to the university's management as soon as possible," he said.

"This is a yearly commitment by the government, which will depend on its financial health and I hope we can give more following this," he said.

He also acknowledged that the issue of funding for the university had been politicised.

"In the spirit of the current unity government, we do not want to extend the polemic and want to send a message that the government's support for TAR UMT will continue," he said.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong also expressed his gratitude to the Federal Government for the annual allocation to TAR UMT.

"We would also like to thank the government for its continuous support through the years where TAR UMT has received RM1.5bil cumulatively from 1969 to 2022," he said.

Dr Wee noted that funding for TAR UMT was also the first matter taken up with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during their meeting in December last year.

Also present at the press conference were former transport ministers Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, as well as Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim.