Unimas' allocation reduced from RM250m in 2014 to RM179m next year

KUCHING, DEC 2, 2014: PKR director of strategy Sim Tze Tzin expressed shock that the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's (Unimas) annual allocation for next year will be reduced by a massive 16.51%, under the federal budget.

From an allocation of RM250 million for 2014, the figure has been reduced to RM179 million, Sim said at a press conference today.

Sim (left) reading his statement from his handphone. With him is Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian.

"The huge reduction is shocking because it will have major implications on Unimas in many areas, in view of the fact that the university is targeting a 10% increase in student intakes next year," he said.

"If you calculate the percentage of reduction in the allocation and the increase in the intakes, you will have about a 25% deficit," Sim, who is also a Member of Parliament from Penang, explained to reporters.

Because of the deficit,  Unimas and its students will have to suffer.

"First, money for R & D will be reduced and this means that less research and development will be undertaken.

"Or that faculties share the same labs because of financial constraints," he said.

"Or worst, we could see a rise in student tutorial fees. This is bad because many students in Unimas are from rural areas of Sarawak," he said, adding that he expects the fees to rise up by 18 %.

Sim said the rise in tutorial fees will be a  huge burden to the students and their parents.

He concluded that there will be a drop in the standard of education in Unimas due to the "unkindest cut" in the annual allocation in the federal budget.