SOLVE STUDENTS' PROBLEMS, UNIVERSITIES URGED

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Bernama) -- Universities and colleges should look into
problems faced by students in completing their studies, said Deputy Higher
Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.

He said welfare topped their complaints followed by high campus food prices,
transportation and inadequate scholarship money.

Saifuddin said the students aired their grievances to him during the Knowing
Youth Mindset (3M) programme.

The universities and colleges should solve the problems while the government
will render its assistance if needed, he told reporters after meeting Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia ( Technological University of Malaysia) students here Sunday.

University Teknologi Malaysia is the oldest public engineering and
technology university in Malaysia and is known by the abbreviation UTM.

Saifuddin said he had so far held dialogues with about 3,000 students from
eight public and private universities, three polytechnics and two community
colleges.

He said the students expressed their views on graduate unemployment, their
welfare, campus politics, the country's politics and the Higher Education Fund
Corporation's loan scheme repayment.

-- BERNAMA