KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 22): MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong denied that the political party has RM2 billion in funds at its disposal to finance the operations of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TarUC).

Therefore, Wee said, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng should not politicise education matters by saying that MCA should cut ties with UTAR and TarUC first before the government would consider higher allocations for them in the federal budget.

"We don't have RM2 billion (of liquid) fund at our disposal, and he (Lim) should see UTAR and TarUC as institutions that provide affordable education instead education bodies owned by political rivals," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

"In fact, UTAR and TarUC have nurtured many of the leaders in DAP today. Moreover, federal budget is about allocation of taxpayers' money, not his (Lim's) or his father's money, and alumni from UTAR and TarUC are paying taxes as well," he said.

Yesterday, Wee had a heated argument with Lim over this matter in the Dewan Rakyat during the latter's winding up speech for the Supply Bill of Budget 2019 Second Reading.

Under Budget 2019, Putrajaya allocated RM5.5 million of development expenditure to UTAR and TarUC, with zero operating expenditure.

After Lim tabled Budget 2019 on Nov 2 this year, Wee had cautioned that UTAR and TarUC might see increases in fees with allocation for operating expenditures.

Nonetheless, Wee today said UTAR and TarUC are still deliberating on the matter of whether to increase fees in the future