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KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has urged the government to include more critical courses in its plan to create 1,500 new university places under Budget 2026.
The Ayer Hitam MP questioned why the initiative appears to focus mainly on areas such as law, accountancy, artificial intelligence (AI), languages and Islamic finance, while other courses, like engineering and pharmacy, were not included.
"What about the other critical courses like engineering, pharmacy, dentistry and medicine?
"Is this due to insufficient funding?" he said in his debate during the winding-up of the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 for the Higher Education Ministry in Parliament, Monday (Oct 3).
Under Budget 2026, the government announced that it would offer 1,500 additional places for outstanding Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and matriculation students to pursue degrees in ten key disciplines at five of the country’s research universities.
These include law, accounting, banking, Islamic finance, artificial intelligence (AI), economics, and languages.
Dr Wee also questioned where the funding for these 1,500 new places comes from.
"Is the ministry prepared to disclose how many students are enrolled in which courses?
"That way, we will have a clear guideline for university admission through the UPUOnline system," said Dr Wee.
In response, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir acknowledged Dr Wee’s concerns and said the government viewed the initiative as a good starting point.
Zambry stated that university enrollment had continued to increase from 136,000 students in 2017 to 168,769 in 2024, reflecting a consistent upward trend.
“The Prime Minister has presented an initial proposal. This is a good starting point.
"We will start with 1,500 places in selected areas, but I agree that other critical fields, such as engineering, need to be reviewed,” Zambry said.
He also agreed that the government would pay attention to which critical courses deserve focus.
"In the education sector, these matters are also influenced by market demand.
As mentioned and discussed, I don’t want us to act recklessly without considering the actual needs in critical fields.
"What the government has done and what the Prime Minister has already presented is an initial proposal.
"In my view, if you ask me, that’s a good starting point.
"When the government responds to all the issues raised by you and others, we will start with 1,500 places, focusing initially on specific fields.
"But at the same time, I also agree that other critical areas, such as engineering, should be reexamined.
"God willing, we will continue to move forward to ensure that, as you mentioned,
fields like engineering and others can also be prioritised in the future," said the minister.
Dr Wee later suggested that the Higher Education Ministry announce the new places specifically by course and university to ensure clarity among students and the public. To this, Zambry responded that the government would move forward with implementation accordingly.
