An aide to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has taken aim at the opposition's "selective" criticism of the Finance Ministry's RM2 million allocation to the nonprofit private Southern University College.

Lim's press secretary, Lutfi Hakim, claimed that Umno and PAS leaders are practising double standards in overlooking aid from the Finance Ministry to other educational institutions, such as sekolah pondok.

"It is clear, the selective move to only question the RM2 million allocation to the Southern University College is due to playing up prejudiced, narrow-minded and unhealthy sentiments which are opposed to an inclusive educational policy," he said in a statement today.

Last December, Lim announced allocations of RM2 million each to the Southern University College in Skudai, the New Era University College in Kajang, and Han Chiang University College of Communication in George Town.

As Lufti pointed out, Umno and PAS chose to not mention the Finance Ministry approving an RM15 million allocation for Universiti Islam Malaysia (UIM), also a nonprofit institution, as well as RM25 million for registered sekolah pondok. 

"Both of these are not mentioned by Umno-Pas. 

"I am confident that when the allocation for MCA-owned Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR-UC) is returned when MCA lets go its share in the institution, the opposition will also play up their sentiments on the matter," he added.

Lufti was referring to the RM24.5 million funding cut to TAR-UC in the 2019 Budget to ensure separation of politics from education.

He also reiterated that the Finance Ministry is taking an inclusive approach to aiding the country's educational institutions.

"The Finance Ministry and its minister have repeatedly explained that the new government will adopt an inclusive approach to provide assistance to all registered schools which are free from political influence, based on current financial capability," his statement read.

In responding to similar criticisms last month, Lim pointed out that a total of 35,364 sekolah pondok and Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat students would receive the equivalent of RM707 each in aid.

“As for the Chinese private secondary schools, of which there are 62 with an enrolment of 84,462, each student will benefit to the tune of RM142,” the minister said.