Be Transparent About How You Use Tar Uc Funds Ex Deputy Minister Tells Mca

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Putrajaya has agreed to revert to the original funding mechanism for the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, with the higher education ministry channelling the allocations to it.PETALING JAYA: Former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching today urged MCA to exercise transparency in its management of allocations amounting to RM58 million from Putrajaya to the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC)
In a statement today, she also explained how the RM40 million given by the Pakatan Harapan government to the TARCian Alumni Association Education Trust Fund (TAA-ETF) was spent for the benefit of the university
She said RM21 million was spent on student bursaries and RM1 million on RM600 achievement awards for TAR UC employees
She said the remaining RM18 million, which has since been revoked by the finance ministry, was supposed to be given to eligible students, with each individual receiving RM500
“Now the allocation is being transferred from the TAA-ETF, which is handled and managed by professionals and successful TAR UC alumni, to the TARC Education Foundation, which is solely controlled by MCA
Former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching.“Would MCA exercise the same degree of transparency and explain how it is going to use the RM58 million allocation?”Teo also asked if the TARC Education Foundation would continue to give RM500 handouts to eligible students and offer discounts for tuition fees in view of the movement control order
This comes after Putrajaya agreed to revert to the original funding mechanism for the university, which will see the higher education ministry channelling the allocations to TAR UC
MCA president Wee Ka Siong said the RM18 million that TAA-ETF was supposed to receive but has since been revoked by the finance ministry will be channelled instead to “the original owner” of TAR UC — the TARC Education Foundation
“To show the government’s continuous commitment to TAR UC, allocations for a matching grant worth RM40 million will be channelled to TAR UC through the higher education ministry this year,” he had said earlier in a statement today
Teo pointed out that the current government had not increased its allocation for the university, as its contributions for the year 2020 was still RM40 million, rather than RM58 million
“The RM58 million announced by Wee includes RM18 million which was taken back from the remaining balance of RM40 million channelled to TAA-ETF in 2019
“Therefore, the allocation for the year 2020 should only be announced as RM40 million.” - FMT

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