SHAH ALAM: The removal of education subsidies for the children of affluent families at public higher education institutions will only be implemented once it has been approved by the Cabinet, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said yesterday.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's remarks on the matter on Monday reflected the government's awareness and expectation that high-income earners have a moral responsibility to make educational opportunities more accessible to vulnerable groups in need.
"We will proceed with the discontinuation (of subsidies) once a Cabinet decision is made.
"What the Prime Minister is stressing now is the moral responsibility of this group (the wealthy) to understand the importance of ensuring educational opportunities are directed towards those who truly need them," he said after officiating the National Academia Month 2024 at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) yesterday.
Zambry said the government's current emphasis is on ensuring that the high-income group (T20) assumes a social and moral responsibility not to exploit government subsidies.
He was asked about Anwar's statement, which hinted at the government's commitment to safeguarding vulnerable groups in Budget 2025.
"The Prime Minister's view is that, in the past, higher education subsidies were distributed broadly without targeting the deserving groups, particularly the B40 and segments of the M40. I believe this reflects the principle of social justice and moral responsibility for the wealthier class.
"They should recognise that, while benefiting from university privileges, their children might not need such subsidies," he said.
On Monday, Anwar said that the welfare of vulnerable groups should continue to be a priority under the Madani economic agenda, using the education sector as an example, where children from affluent families are benefiting from government-funded education, unlike the less fortunate.-- BERNAMA