KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) has allocated RMRM339,516,500 for the purpose of student welfare and development, involving the construction and maintenance of hostels or residential colleges for 2023.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that of the total, about RM261 million is for the payment of concessions for public-private partnerships (PPP) and private financing initiatives (PFI) for the construction of residential colleges that have been completed.

"For example, RM19.8 million is for the Kota Baru and Jeli polytechnics in Kelantan, RM6.7 million is for the Seberang Perai Polytechnic and RM14.3 million is for the Ungku Omar Polytechnic.

"Meanwhile, RM40 million is for the construction of a new residential college. This includes at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) in Kampus Bachok and the Tun Syed Nasor Pagoh Polytechnic, which involve a total cost of RM180 million,” he said during the winding-up session of the National Undergraduates Parliamentary sitting 2023 yesterday.

He said a total of RM38.3 million will also be used to upgrade existing residential colleges in various institutions of higher education (IPTs) nationwide.

In addition, he said the ministry is also collaborating with the University Housing Council of Malaysia (Mapum) in ensuring the availability of student accommodation in residential colleges on campus is at optimum capacity.

He said this is to cater to rising number of students eligible to stay in colleges.

Mohamed Khaled said the ministry was also committed to studying the suitability of the proposal to do away with the merit system in determining the selection of students eligible to stay in residential colleges.

The two-day National Undergraduates Parliamentary sitting, which began on yesterday, was organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Parliament of Malaysia and International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM).

Meanwhile, the ministry, in a statement, said its main aim in organising the programme was to provide space and opportunity to IPT undergraduates to intellectually and prudently voice out and debate on the four core issues, namely economy, welfare, student empowerment and development and internationalisation.

The proposals made at the programme will be taken up as an agenda of discussion at the of the National Student Consultative Council (MPPK)’s Premier Meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim scheduled for end of this year.

The inaugural programme involved a total of 187 delegates from the MPPK, Student Representatives Councils (MPP) and Student Unions from various IPTs in Malaysia covering 20 public universitites, 13 private institutions of higher learning, 12 polytechnics, four community colleges and four Institute of Teacher Education Malaysia. — Bernama