KUALA LUMPUR: The funds given to the New Era University College was a special allocation from the Finance Ministry and not from the Education Ministry.
“The Barisan Nasional (BN) government has also given funds to the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (KUTAR) which is not a public university, between RM30 million and RM69.25 million in Budgets 2012 until 2018,” the Education Ministry said in a statement last night.
According to the statement, the presence of Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching at a ceremony to hand over the funds to the college had no ulterior motive but was on the invitation of the Finance Ministry.
The statement was issued to clarify reports by several portals which quoted Rembau Member of Parliament who questioned the funds given by the Education Ministry to the private college when such grants to private university colleges were not in Budget 2019.
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry said the culture of playing on racial sentiments and manipulating facts should be avoided to preserve unity and enable the nation to progress in line with the aspirations of the people.
In Budget 2019 which was tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng at the Dewan Rakyat last November, the Education Ministry received maintenance funds for schools of all streams amounting to RM652 million compared to RM615 million in 2018.
Last Tuesday, Lim gave an allocation of RM25 million to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa to be distributed to registered religious schools while RM12 million was given to private Chinese secondary schools last Friday. — Bernama
