3 facts repudiate attempts by DAP’s Tony Pua to mire TARUC funding into controversy

MCA strongly rebukes the remarks by DAP Damansara MP Tony Pua who attempts to shift responsibility on the funding of TAR University College (TARUC) to civil servants, and for slandering MCA by muddying facts with fake news. Our party advises Tony Pua to immediately cease trying to confuse facts on the real authority which attempted to suppress TARUC in the past, failing which, his mis-actions only highlight the shamelessness and incompetence of himself personally and DAP.

On 28 April 2021 (Wednesday), Pua, in a media forum, tried to shield former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and DAP by blaming civil servants in the Ministry of Finance, alleging the decision to slash funding to TARUC was determined by the latter and not Guan Eng.

There are too many holes in Pua’s allegations.

Point #1: Guan Eng’s past comments or action directly fall splat back on Pua.

In Budget 2019, Finance Minister Guan Eng had announced in Parliament that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government would not allocate any funds for TARUC’s operations, but only RM5.5 million for development. This figure was further reduced to RM1 million for Budget 2020.

If there is any truth in Pua’s claims and that the DAP Finance Minister was not in the know beforehand, does this mean that a Budget which was read out by the Finance Minister himself and related to the country’s development and expenditure throughout the following year - not only was it not prepared by the Finance Minister, but was he not even given the opportunity to review its draft? As Finance Minister, has Guan Eng either become a puppet of civil servants, or, fallen asleep at all Ministry meetings?

Moreover, after the operations allocation for TARUC was scrapped, the DAP Bagan MP had demanded more than once that so long as MCA was willing to break ties with TARUC, the higher learning education institute would receive the annual matching grant.

This is clear evidence that Guan Eng’s move to decrease funding for TARUC is purely an act of political reprisal. Using TARUC to threaten MCA, even at the expense of the rights and interests of the students and staff, was not conceptualised by civil servants as Tony Pua alleges. A random search on the internet, be it Guan Eng’s past comments or actions, all repudiate Pua’s claims.

Point #2: Reserve funds and operating expenditure cannot be lumped together.

Tony Pua claimed that TARUC has RM600 million in reserves, and earns an annual profit of RM20 million, questioning the need for additional government allocations. MCA is astonished that despite Pua’s economic background, he could still make such a misleading allegation by putting two different things together. 

Or does Pua really not know that, reserve funds and operating expenditures are conceptually different from each other and should not be lumped together?

Reserve funds are essentially the organisation’s capital, used for future planning and expansions. In TARUC’s case, it will be used for the opening of new campuses or areas, such as the Pahang or Sabah campuses. Meanwhile, the operating expenditure is for daily operations, such as lecturers’ salaries, and campus facilities. Under normal circumstances, it would not be advisable for a company to use its reserve funds for the purpose of operating expenditure. Hence, why would an “economic expert” like Tony Pua moot such a fallacy?

Most importantly, the reason TARUC has been able to provide quality education at an affordable price all these years, helping many varsity students from financially poor background to graduate, is because of the institutionalised federal allocation for operations expenditure every year.

Pua jumbling up two conceptually different matters to justify Guan Eng’s revocation of TARUC’s allocation is simply baffling; we are already aware that the former Finance Minister has still been unable to prove himself a certified accountant, but do we now also have reasons to doubt Pua’s background as a financial expert?

Point #3: Perikatan Nasional gave more, not lessened: Government did not sacrifice SJKC funding in helping TARUC

PH revoked TARUC’s operating expenditure allocation when they came into power. However, after the PH government collapsed, MCA President Datuk Seri Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong discussed with current Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Tengku Zafrul, who not only reinstated the institutionalised federal allocation for TARUC agreed during BN’s era ie RM 42million in 2021, but also the RM58 million in funds slashed during the 2 years under PH.

However, Tony Pua asserts that the allocation for TARUC was a result of sacrificing funding for SJKCs.

Yet in reality, Budget 2021 increased allocations for the various multi-stream schools according to the number of schools, and the funds received by SJKCs under both government schools and government-aided schools reach a total of RM74.07 million.

From RM50 million in 2020 to RM74.07 million in 2021 for SJKCs, where is the “sacrifice” of SJKCs?

Hence, these 3 points clearly rebut allegations by Pua and DAP.

We advise DAP and Tony Pua to not go overboard with such misleading and unfounded accusations. Stop trying to cook up excuses having oppressed TARUC and Chinese education in the past, because it remains an indisputable fact that DAP had prioritised their political personal agenda over public welfare.

Facebook video URL link: https://www.facebook.com/MCAHQ/videos/291304502494598/

Saw Yee Fung
MCA Spokesperson

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