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Universiti Malaya (UM) has clarified that its Accounting programme offers up to 160 places, not just 85 as claimed by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong
UM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman said of the total, 85 places are allocated to students applying through the centralised admissions system (UPU), while another 28 are reserved for those from the university's own foundation programme.
The remaining 30 to 50 places will be filled through the university's open channel, the Saluran Terbuka Universiti Awam (SATU) system.
He said the SATU system provides the university a "creative avenue" to find students to expand its intake and strengthen its position as the country's flagship university.
"This is standard practice," he said in a video posted on Facebook yesterday evening, 10 September.
He stressed that all applicants are assessed on merit, with conditional offers extended only to those who meet the university's requirements
These candidates are then ranked, and only the best among them are ultimately selected.
Noor Azuan also confirmed that 113 students have already been admitted this year — 85 via UPU and 28 via the feeder system — while the final number could rise to as many as 160 once the SATU offers are finalised.
Watch the university vice-chancellor's statement here:
Wee had earlier criticised the university for restricting its Accounting intake to only 85 students
Citing figures from the Higher Education Department (JPT), Wee questioned why the intake seemed so low compared to UM's convocation records, which showed nearly 200 Accounting graduates annually between 2011 and 2024.
"Why does the data from JPT, the department that oversees all universities, state that only 85 places were offered when the university's own records show a much larger number of graduates?" he asked during a press conference yesterday.
He said the discrepancy highlighted an injustice towards students such as STPM top scorer Edward Wong, who was rejected by UM under the UPU channel but later offered admission through the SATU system.
"Does this mean students must pay tuition fees ten times higher just to secure a place at UM?" Wee pressed further.
Watch Wee's press conference here:
