THE Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (MAPCU) welcomes and supports any justifiable and reasonable move to address the issue of the high rate of unemployed graduates, “Mara may scrap scholarships for IPTS students” (The Star, March 27).
Mara’s enthusiasm and pro-active attitude is to be applauded in this instance.
However, with regard to the specific move to possibly withdraw any future offer of scholarships to students at private higher education institutions, MAPCU would like to seek clarification from Puan Meriyam Abdul Majid, senior director of the Entrepreneur Development Division of Mara on the following:
l Are there reliable statistics to support Mara’s contention that private institutes of higher learning (IPTS) are to be blamed for producing unemployable graduates?
l If statistics are available, can Mara reveal how many unemployable graduates are from public institutes of higher learning.
We need to have facts and be transparent when making decisions.
Otherwise, such sweeping statements will work against the Government’s aim to establish Malaysia as a Centre of Educational Excellence in the region and negate our efforts to attract more foreign students to study in Malaysia.
It also implies that all IPTS curricula are unsuitable for industry.
Let us all work together, public and private institutions of higher learning with the industries to seek solutions to this national problem.
MAPCU is certainly ready to play its role.
KO KIM HOOI,
Secretariat,
Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities,
Kuala Lumpur.
(via e-mail)
