ALOR SETAR: The increasing reliance on direct or open entry routes into public universities will shortchange high-achievers from low and middle-income families aiming for critical fields like medicine, engineering and law, says Kedah Higher Education committee chairman Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah.

“It’s disheartening when a student from a poor family, who scored straight A’s, may not get into a public medical programme due to limited slots, while someone with lower results can enter through the open route if they can afford it,” said Haim Hilman, who is also a former Universiti Utara Malaysia vice-chancellor.

He said the pressure intensifies when these students are not offered places through the UPUOnline system and are instead pushed towards courses or programmes that are not in demand.

The scenario could also affect those from middle-income parents whose children have excellent academic results but were denied placings due to their lack of finances, he said.

He urged the government to re-evaluate education policies to prevent jeopardising the future of high-achieving students, particularly those from B40 and M40 families.

Haim Hilman also advocated for Malaysian universities, especially those with five-star Malaysian Research Assessment (MyRA) ratings, to commercialise their research to reduce reliance on traditional funding.

He noted that research findings with commercial potential are often underutilised and suggested that universities operate like government-linked companies to monetise innovations.

On a related matter, two student leaders have voiced concerns over the increasing use of open entry routes to public universities, claiming that it significantly impacts applications made through the usual UPUOnline system.

Universiti Malaya Student Union (UMSU) secretariat Lee Yu Dong, a law undergraduate, said UM should focus on increasing the UPUOnline system quota rather than expanding the direct intake channel.

Lee said that public universities should not operate like commercial entities by imposing high increases in tuition fees for students who enrolled through direct channels.

Lee also backed a call by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong that the 2025/2026 MBBS intake through Satu be suspended immediately and that the government should set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to review the public university admission systems.

“Direct intake should be a last resort for students to enter sought-after courses like medicine, law and pharmacy, based on academic merit, not financial means,” said Lee, who is also the general secretary of UM Associa­tion of New Youth (Umany).

Citing Umany statistics, Lee said 35% of direct intake students are from B40 families.

“Public universities should prioritise the welfare of students. Ignoring this risks exacerbating brain drain, delaying Malaysia’s development goals, and diminishing hope for a brighter future,” he added.

Ong Jelyn, a UMSU representative and third-year medical student, said while admissions flexibility might diversify student backgrounds, it risks sidelining those who applied through the rigorous UPUOnline system.

She said the 67% fee increase in direct admissions is unjustifiable, especially if it is done without transparency and providing better student support as this would severely affect B40 and M40 families.

Ong said that high fees would limit social mobility, jeopardising public universities’ role in providing a chance for underprivileged communities.

“Scholarships and financial protections must precede any fee restructuring,” she said, reiterating that education is a right, not a commodity.