KUALA LUMPUR: More than 300 medical students have been left in the lurch after the closure of a Penang-based private medical university because the education ministry has yet to approve their transfer to other institutions, an opposition MP said.

“The students’ education and welfare are at stake because they cannot continue their studies at other universities while at the same time, they are paying for their study loans,” said PKR’s Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul (pic).

The Health ministry has approved the transfer of 210 students to Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences and another 120 to AIMST University in Kedah, but the students cannot pursue their studies because the education ministry has yet to give the green light.

“We want the education ministry to approve the transfer quickly. I hope everything can be wrapped up by December so that they can continue their studies in January,” Johari told reporters at Parliament lobby yesterday.

The Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS) in Kepala Batas closed on Oct 15 due to financial difficulties.

Saying AUCMS’s closure has cast negative light on private education in Malaysia, Johari called for stern action against its owner and the university management.

G Manivanan (PKR-Kapar) said there is a need for stricter monitoring of private colleges.

“The ministry needs to ensure universities have enough funds, infrastructure and human resources before they are given the approval to operate. They also need close monitoring to ensure such incidents do not recur,” he said.

In April this year, it was reported that some of AUCMS’s high-ranked academic and administration staff were not paid salaries since the beginning of the year. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 14, 2014.