SUPP Youth Central and Central Women Section against Zero balance

suppadmin | October 21, 2024

University Malaya’s move to implement ‘Zero Balance’ policy is unfair and is oppressing the students.

SUPP women chief, Kho Teck Wan said she and SUPP Central youth support the petition by the UM students asking the university to drop their zero balance policy.

She said UM’s decision is putting the students in such anxiety and worries before their semester starts.

“They are not students from very well-off families. Many of them are recipients of PTPTN and other scholarships.

“It places unnecessary financial stress on the students, especially those from lower-income backgrounds.

“Instead of supporting students in their academic journey, the policy can make education less accessible for those struggling with financial challenges,” he said.

Tiang, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government said such policy means the university is asking the students recruited by the university open path channel to settle the first semester tuition fees before they could activate their student status.

He said this is not fair as the students recruited from the university central unit track are students being subsidised by the government.

“Previously, students were only asked to settle the fee before the semester exam.

“That way, it gives way to the students to find means to settle their tuition fees before and to wait for the PTPTN to release fees to the university,” he said.

Kho added that when she and Tiang and himself attended the Lan Berambeh Session, they were met with a lot of students, particularly UM students.

She said these students voiced their concern towards such a policy and many students are looking for alternatives to pay for the tuition fees.

“This is not right because students should not be put through all this anxiety of settling their tuition fees as their focus should be on studying,” she lamented.

Kho said they were also informed by the students that when they signed the offer letter, no zero balance was being mentioned.

“So, we say no to those zero balance policies and the university should scrap this policy,” he said.