Ministry mulls legal action over claims of ‘backdoor’ entry into public varsities

PETALING JAYA: The higher education ministry is considering legal action against Jitra assemblyman Haim Hilman Abdullah over claims that public universities were selling places to wealthy individuals and that tens of thousands of students had entered through “backdoor” routes.

The ministry said Haim made the claims in a speech for the Negeri Sembilan polls, broadcast on Facebook on June 13.

“Such allegations are not only serious but also have the potential to undermine the reputation and credibility of the country’s entire higher education system.

“This includes public universities, university management, government officials, and thousands of students who gained admission through legitimate channels,” it said in a statement.

The ministry said it remains open to constructive criticism, but allegations that could undermine public trust in higher education institutions must be supported by credible evidence.

“The ministry is examining appropriate legal measures to defend the integrity of public universities and the national higher education system against false and baseless accusations,” it said.

Last year, Haim, a PAS assemblyman and former Universiti Utara Malaysia vice-chancellor, also alleged that international students were prioritised over Malaysians in admission to research universities.

He claimed that Malaysia’s five research universities offered 180,000 places, of which 21% were filled by international students.

The higher education ministry also denied his claim, with director-general Azlinda Azman saying the assemblyman had “repeatedly misled the public” about the higher education policy on international students.