PETALING JAYA: Conflicting figures from the Higher Education Ministry and Universiti Malaya (UM) have led to confusion in the public university enrolment process, says Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng.
According to Tan, the enrolment figures for UM’s accounting programme, as reported by the Higher Education Ministry and the university, did not match.
Tan said UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Ir Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman stated that 113 students were admitted to the accounting programme this year, including 28 from feeder programmes.
“His quoted figure differs from the figure of 85 provided by the Director-General of Higher Education,” Tan said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 11).
Tan then said that Noor Azuan further mentioned that an additional 30 to 50 students would be admitted through direct admission, potentially increasing the total number of seats to 163.
“While 85 places were allocated through the Unit Pengambilan Universiti (UPU), placements offered to STPM holders remain undisclosed.
“This lack of clarity makes it difficult to assess whether STPM students are being accorded equal opportunities,” Tan said.
He also said that, according to the provided data, only 52.2% of the total estimated 163 seats were filled through UPU.
“The remaining 47.9% were admitted through non-UPU channels, comprising 30.7% via direct admission and 17.2% through feeder programmes.
“As a taxpayer-funded institution, it is reasonable to question whether this distribution is equitable,” Tan said.
He said that UM, as the nation’s premier university, should exemplify fairness and transparency in our education system.
But, Tan said, the current explanations regarding their admissions process have, regrettably, led to more questions than answers.
“Penang MCA once again urged the government to establish an RCI without delay.
“This would help ensure that future admissions processes are transparent, merit-based, and fair, providing every qualified student with an equal opportunity to pursue higher education,” he said.
In a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday (Sept 10), Noor Azuan stated that the data provided by the higher education department on the number of seats available in UM’s accounting programme is accurate, as it is obtained from the UPU system.
Noor Azuan said the overall intake for UM’s accounting programme this year was 113, higher than the previous figure of 85.
On Wednesday (Sept 10), MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong disputed that figure of 85 available seats, saying that according to UM’s convocation data, almost 200 students graduated from the same course annually between 2011 and 2024.
