KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 25): Some RM20 million of funds allocated for private Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) providers have been held back since January this year, highlighted the Federation of JPK Accredited Centers Malaysia (FeMAC).

This is the remainder of the RM125 million allocation for private TVET providers by the government, RM105 million of which has already been disbursed as reported by Minister of Human Resources, M Kulasegaran.

"Only a selected few of us (private TVET providers) have received funding (but) a lot more were denied," said FeMAC president P Sailanathan said at a media briefing today.

So far, the Department of Skills Development (JPK) and the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) have been "pointing fingers at each other", without having yet come to a positive outcome on when the remaining funds can be distributed, Sailanathan said.

Although Kulasegaran recently said the Human Resources Ministry has secured an additional RM140 million in funding from the Finance Ministry for TVET students and providers, the minister has so far not engaged with FeMAC on the matter.

"We are willing to cooperate, but there is no direction from the ministry. We are neither here or there," Sailanathan said, adding that many providers are on the verge of closing shop and students are considering dropping out due to a lack of financial support.

FeMAC said the TVET industry as a whole would require a minimum allocation from the federal budget of RM1 billion per year for the next five years to be sustainable.