AFTER months of wrangling between MCA leaders and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng over funding for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC), the ministry led by Lim today deposited RM40 million into a new education trust fund managed by the institution alumni.

Lim announced the transfer of funds to the TARCian Alumni Association (TAA) in Kuala Lumpur today, and handed over a receipt of the transaction and the TAA terms of reference.

“TAA Education Trust Fund will work with the relevant authorities to disburse the grant to benefit TAR UC and its students,” he said. 

TAA recently set up a trust to administer the money for the MCA-controlled university college and its students after the government refused to hand over public money to the institution.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong had highlighted the matter after Lim tabled the national budget for 2020 in October in which there was no mention of funding for TAR UC. The previous Barisan Nasional government had allocated money yearly to TAR UC.

Lim had maintained that the Pakatan Harapan administration would not channel funds directly to TAR UC so long as MCA retained control of it.

He said RM30 million this year and a similar amount next year were ready to be disbursed, provided the BN component party give up ownership of the institution. 

Lim later upped the amount to RM40 million and said a trust under the TAA was in the process of being set up.

Lim today said the RM40 million grant was proof the PH government did not intend to shut down or interfere in the running of the higher education institution.

PH’s handling of funding for TAR UC was a sore point for Chinese voters in the recent Tanjung Piai by-election as many students from the poorer Chinese families have benefited from scholarships provided by the institution.

TAA president Yap Kuak Fong today said new appointments to the TAA Education Trust Fund board of trustees was being vetted by the ministry. – December 16, 2019.