Days after privately-held Taylor’s University announced it would terminate the contract of its official bus provider for leasing the university’s buses for use during the Red Shirt rally last week, the Minister of Rural and Regional Development declared that the People’s Trust Council (MARA) would stop sponsoring students under its care for courses at Taylor’s.
Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today that he had directed MARA, which falls under his ministry’s purview, to no longer extend sponsorships to MARA scholars seeking to further their studies at the private uni.
When asked by The Star Online‘s Rahmah Ghazali why the directive was issued, Ismail declined to give a precise answer.
“There are many reasons,” he said.
The issue seems to stem from last week’s decision by Taylor’s University management to terminate their business relationship with Wawasan Sutera Travel and Tours, after the bus operator leased out buses with Taylor’s official livery to organisers of the “red shirt” Gathering for Malay Dignity on Malaysia Day last week.
Images of the buses ferrying red shirt protesters into Kuala Lumpur went viral on social media, prompting Taylor’s to first issue an official apology for the confusion the buses caused, and then to announce the termination of its relationship with Wawasan Sutera.
Ismail stated that he would inform MARA to review its student sponsorship policy in regards to Taylor’s soon, but assured MARA students currently enrolled in the university that their sponsorship status would not be affected.
“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,” he said.
Taylor’s University, in response, said that it had not received any news from Ismail’s ministry or MARA on the matter.
“We will reserve comment for now as we have yet to hear from MARA on this matter,” a spokesperson for the university said.
