The reduction of allocation to the Higher Education Ministry in the 2017 Budget should be viewed positively, said its minister Idris Jusoh.

He said the reduction was in line with the efforts to reduce the dependence of public universities on the government.

“It is also consistent with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which doesn’t want public universities to be too dependent on the government.

“Clearly now the dependence is between 70 and 90 percent,” he told reporters after attending a dinner with University of New Haven alumni in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Idris said as an alternative to the reduction, university alumni should play a role to assist their universities and universities also need to maximise the use of their assets.

A total of RM250 million has been allocated to the Higher Education Ministry in 2017 Budget tabled on Friday.

On the event, Idris, who is also an alumnus of the university, said it was a good initiative to bring together former students.

Meanwhile, a former student Serin Sudah @ Masree, 58, who studied economics at the university from 1982 to 1988, hoped that more Malaysians would have the opportunity to study there.

About 200 alumni attended the dinner.

- Bernama