KUALA LUMPUR: Hostel and service fees at all public universities for the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic session has been reduced by up to 15 per cent, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Minister of Higher Education Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad said the move involved a total allocation of RM72 million, of which RM20 million was approved by the Ministry of Finance and the other RM52 million will be from the internal allocation of the universities.
The minister said the fees were reduced following complaints and feedback from students and parents whose household income was badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A total of 523,318 students of public universities nationwide will benefit from this,” she said in reply to Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (PH-Hang Tuah Jaya) during question time.
Shamsul Iskandar had wanted to know whether the government was planning to refund part of the fees paid by the students since they were unable to attend lectures on campus since March due to the pandemic.
– BERNAMA