Has AIMST shattered the ‘aims’ of Indian Malaysians?

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Shocking truths about the Asian Institute of Medical Science and Technology University (AIMST) are finally emerging.

AIMST was started by the MIC in the 1990s in Sintok, Kedah, to address the tertiary educational and professional needs of the Indian Malaysians.

The land for the establishment of the campus was provided by the Kedah state government.

However, whether the university is owned by the MIC or its affiliates is not known. There rumours to indicate that ownership of the university is the hands of certain individuals who are close with the former president of MIC, S Samy Vellu.

Apart from the ownership question is whether the funds collected from the Indian Malaysian community and thousands of MIC branches are being put to the good use of promoting Indian Malaysian educational advancement.

Following the fiasco associated with Maika Holdings, many of the MIC branches could not convince the Indian community of the bona fide nature of funds for AIMST. Thus, many of these branches were closed down due to the relevant leaders not attending party meetings where they had to explain their inability to collect from ordinary Indian Malaysians.

The most worrisome aspect of AIMST is the intake of Indian Malaysian students declining over the years in professional disciplines like medicine, dentistry and others.

In the recent intake into the dentistry faculty, out of the total 75 students only three were Indian Malaysians. It is not that Indian Malaysian students don’t have the grades, but it allegedly about their inability to pay their fees. Non-Indian Malaysians seem to be the preferred choice of the administration overseen by the MIC, the supposedly champions of Indian Malaysians or the ‘mother party’.

If AIMST is just an ordinary private university, then it is understandable if poor Indian Malaysian students were not admitted on the grounds of lack of funds.

But AIMST that was started off by none than MIC with so much fanfare about the need to uplift the poor Indian Malaysians has failed tragically and miserably in addressing the ‘aims’ of Indian Malaysians.

Yes, land was given free and millions collected from poor Indian Malaysians but what is the result - another sad episode for the Indian Malaysian community that contributed in blood and sweat for the development of the country.

The ‘mother party’, the MIC, has made a mockery of the need to uplift the poor Indian Malaysians. Their contributions are allegedly being used to educate the rich students.

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P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai. - Mkini