UNIVERSITY students yesterday demanded that Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad resign from the post after a last-minute change to move classes and registration online following a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Thousands of students were caught off-guard as they were on the way to their campuses to begin a new semester.

They slammed the decision on Twitter using the hashtag #MenteriKPTsilaletakjawatan.

“Please resign. You have never considered the rights of university students. You have never brought us any benefits, you have only burdened us,” said @__eresbella.

“Politicians love to stir up problems. The higher education ministry is indecisive but blames it on the pandemic, the management of these higher institutions are all over the place yet the ones who suffer are university students!” said another Twitter user @_sysyaaa.

“Your incompetence has cost us the students money that involuntarily wasted and mental health that was not cared for in the first place,” she added.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry said it is aware of the views and concerns voiced by students, parents, and the community on the increase in Covid-19 cases just a few days before the start of the new academic year.

Students who are already registered and on campus can remain there, while their institutions are urged to provide them with the necessary assistance.

As for students who have already purchased flight tickets to return, the ministry said it has liaised with airlines to allow students to reschedule their flights until December 31.

One student said her parents and seven family members are surviving on RM500 so that they can pay her university fees of RM3,000. 

“I didn’t even get any bantuan because they judge from my parents’ estimated pay when the truth is so bitter. Not to say I am not grateful but it hurts to see I somewhat caused my parents hardships just for them to see me get into university,” she said.

Some students also complained that they have gone back to campuses and done up their dorm rooms only to be told they will be having online classes.

“I’ve spent a lot of money, time and energy, after clearing and cleaning up my dorm and they are asking to go home? How should I go home now? Tell me,” said Twitter user @hfszrhs.

“Tickets are burn and students waiting for TNC approval just to be back by 12 Oct only to find out things are obsolete & void by now, all under short sighted and shallow vision being so short noticed and agonisingly slow and defective,” said Twitter user @maehry.

In March, the ministry made several U-turns, such as the decision on whether to allow students to leave campuses or not just as the movement-control order was about to be implemented.

A month later, Noraini was slammed for promoting a TikTok competition aimed at getting Malaysians to stay indoors during the MCO.

Malaysia yesterday recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in a single day with a total of 287 new infections. – October 3, 2020.