KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry aims to provide residential college facilities for at least 70% of all full-time undergraduate enrolments at public universities and polytechnics nationwide by 2035.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the target is outlined under the Residential College Facilities Policy for Public Higher Education Institutions (IPTA), which was developed in November 2024 following engagements with the Malaysian Universities Housing Council and student leaders.
He said the ministry remains committed to ensuring students have access to safe, comfortable and conducive accommodation, particularly those in need.
"To meet students' accommodation needs at universities, more residential colleges are being developed as part of the ministry's long-term plan to provide better living facilities, particularly for students from the B40 group," he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (July 13).
He was responding to a question from Mohd Sany Hamzan (PH-Hulu Langat), who asked about the government's concrete measures to address the shortage of residential colleges that has forced many students to rent off-campus accommodation at high cost.
Zambry said the ministry had received nearly RM1.1bil during the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) period and the first year of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for the replacement, upgrading and rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure at public higher education institutions, while a further RM225mil had been allocated to refurbish existing student hostels.
During the same period, 36 residential college projects at IPTAs were implemented through public-private partnerships (PPP), with 15 projects completed, providing accommodation for up to 45,000 students.
"During the 13MP period, the government plans to build five new residential colleges at public universities through the PPP model, which are expected to accommodate up to 21,000 students," he said.
In his reply to a supplementary question from Halimah Ali (Pakatan-Kapar) on the status of the construction of new residential colleges and rental assistance for students forced to pay between RM500 and RM1,000 a month for off-campus accommodation, Zambry said the projects would provide additional capacity.
He said the ministry had also introduced strict guidelines to ensure priority for on-campus accommodation was given to target groups.
"Priority is given to students from the B40 group, orang asli students, persons with disabilities (PwDs), those actively involved in the Student Representative Council, PALAPES and Kesatria, as well as students from asnaf and other disadvantaged groups," he said.
For B40 and M40 students who have to live off campus, he said each university has introduced various initiatives based on its own capacity to ease students' financial burden, including providing transportation to and from campus. - Bernama
