PETALING JAYA: Public universities have been instructed to postpone the collection of registration fees for underprivileged students and prioritise their admission first, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
He said this in an official statement on Thursday (Sept 19) through a video posted on his Facebook profile, alongside Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
“I am sharing my video with Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki regarding the issue of students facing difficulties with university registration, especially in terms of finances.
“Asyraf and I have discussed this matter several times before and we are committed to ensuring that every student who receives an offer will successfully register at each university,” he said.
He also said that universities have been instructed to prioritise accepting students, with financial arrangements, including The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) assistance, to be handled afterwards.
“One of PTPTN’s initiatives is to offer advance payments to help you register as new university students.
“I have made it clear that I don’t want to hear about students who have succeeded but couldn’t attend university.
“Coming from a similar background, I understand those struggles,” he said, adding that financial issues should never be an excuse for not pursuing higher education.
He said if any problems or issues arise, students can directly contact the university or the Higher Education Ministry for assistance.
“Don’t worry about fees and such, as the Ministry provides various facilities for students and God willing, we will help should any difficulties be faced,” he said in his post.
