PETALING JAYA: More than RM1.6bil in scholarships and educational loans has helped thousands of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) students pursue higher education over the past 24 years, particularly those from financially disadvantaged families.
MCA vice-president Datuk Tan Teik Cheng (pic) said that as of May 2026, UTAR had awarded more than RM240mil in internal scholarships to 23,133 students, while external scholarships totalling RM31.32mil had benefited 1,449 students.
Another RM23.99mil in internal educational loans had been provided by UTAR to 2,353 students, while external loans obtained by students amounted to more than RM1.37bil, benefiting 85,552 students.
“RM1.6bil is not merely a figure. Behind every scholarship and every form of educational assistance is a family’s hope for their child’s future.“It also represents opportunities given to youths to change not only their own lives but potentially the future of their entire family,” Tan said in a statement yesterday.
He said UTAR’s 24-year journey showed that quality university education should not be a privilege reserved for those who could afford it but should also be accessible to those who need it most.
Continuing this effort, UTAR has awarded scholarships to 1,200 new undergraduate and foundation students enrolling in June 2026, including 1,155 recipients of the UTAR Top Achiever Scholarships, he said.
“A family’s financial circumstances should never determine a child’s potential. Academically capable students from underprivileged backgrounds deserve every opportunity to pursue higher education.
“This was one of the key reasons MCA pushed for UTAR’s establishment. The aim was never merely to build another university but an institution that could give more children from ordinary families hope and enable capable young Malaysians to achieve upward mobility through education.”
Tan also urged companies, foundations, alumni and the public to continue supporting UTAR’s scholarship and educational assistance programmes so more deserving young Malaysians could pursue higher education and eventually contribute to the country and society.
