300 AUCMS students have nowhere to go

The fate of about 300 students of Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS) lies in the hands of the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), the very institution that allowed AUCMS to offer medical programmes. What will happen next is still yet to happen...

In April, AUCMS has been reported to be in deep financial crisis as their academic and administrative staffs have not received their salaries for the past four months. The following month, AUCMS students were barred from serving their practical years in government hospitals.

“I’m not sure what will happen after I finish my  semester here,” says a student who agreed to be interviewed on the conditions of anonymity. He enrolled in a UKM franchise programme at AUCMS, and is temporarily at UKM for one semester, only.

To assure students and their parents that their studies will be taken cared for, a meeting was organized wherein the Higher Education Department deputy-general (IPTS sector) Prof. Datuk Dr Roziah Omar was quoted saying that they could choose among the 28 private institutions which offer medicine, and need not worry about the allocated quota.

However, students who enrolled and paid the fees in Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS), MAHSA University, the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (RCMP), and Management and Science University (MSU), were told to vacate their hostels in October as their chosen institutes would exceed the lecture-to-student ratio set by MMC.

With the events unfolding, MMC should be responsible and help these 300 students by allowing them to enrol in public varsities. In August, it has been reported that only 1,019 places for medicine, out of the 1,550 approved quota for IPTA, was offered.

With 531 available seats, why not let IPTA absorb these students?

“Those students who took other courses at AUCMS, they have been shifted to surrogate universities but the quota issue has left  them uncertain of their future. They’re desperate and anxious to hear from the government,” said the anonymous student.

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Written by Lyn Cacha