Putrajaya mum on why Mara no longer sponsoring students at Taylor’s

Mara is sponsoring 521 students at Taylor’s University but from next year, it will no longer do so, says the minister in charge of the agency. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 20, 2015.

Putrajaya has skirted around the issue of Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (Mara) decision to stop sponsoring students to Taylor’s University.

In a written reply, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob only cited the number of Mara students sent to the private university but did not say why it had stopped sending students there.

“As of September 2015, Mara sponsored a total of 521 students to study in Taylor’s University in various fields which encompassed preparatory programme, first degree and master’s programmes and other programmes.

“The total number of students is a big number for an institution of higher learning. The sponsorship of students by Mara in institutions of higher learning, including at Taylor’s University is done accordance to current needs,” he told Nga Kor Ming (DAP- Taiping).

Nga had asked the ministry, which Mara comes under, to state the reasons the agency decided to stop sponsoring students to Taylor’s.

Last month, Ismail Sabri announced the decision, citing “myriad reasons” but did not specify any.

“There are many reasons,” he was quoted as saying by The Star when asked if the decision had anything to do with Taylor’s terminating the contract of bus operators which used its logo on vehicles to ferry rally goers to the “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” or “red shirt” rally in Kuala Lumpur on September 16.

“But I would like to clarify that we will not terminate the sponsorship for existing students, as they could carry on with their studies. Only the next intake will be affected.” 

Taylor’s University terminated its contract with Wawasan Sutera a day after the rally. 

- TMI