Wanita MCA is hosting a nationwide fundraising campaign for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) students.

For starters, they will be organising a charity bazaar tonight and tomorrow at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, in tandem with the MCA annual general meeting.

Speaking at a press conference today, Wanita MCA chief Heng Seah Kie said two vendors had already come forth to offer their wares following Putrajaya’s decision to reduce funding for TAR UC.

One vendor has offered to donate RM20 from each of the 600 homemade lipsticks up for sale at the bazaar, while the other vowed to donate 100 concert tickets to be sold for RM50 each. All proceeds would go toward the donation drive.

Thanking the vendors, Heng said Wanita MCA hoped to raise at least RM17,000 from the bazaar.

“These two offers were presented to us even before we announced the bazaar to the media. We want to thank them and we hope this will help attract more interest in the charity bazaar," she said.

“Education is the foundation for developing a country. Especially for TAR UC when 95 percent of its students are Chinese and many are from the lower income families.” 

Heng welcomed collaborations with other vendors, businesses and NGOs to raise funds for students of TAR UC. Cash donations were also encouraged, which MCA promised receipts for.

Heng stressed that Wanita MCA wanted to help save TAR UC from being treated unfairly by the Pakatan Harapan administration.

“The institution was set up more than 40 years ago, thanks to the MCA, but today the university has been treated unfairly," she said.

“We hope we can help raise enough funds to enable TAR UC students to pursue their studies without disturbances like fees hike or other burdens.” 

MCA previously cried foul over how government funding for the tertiary institution had been cut from RM5.5 million this year to just RM1 million in Budget 2020, accusing Harapan of lacking empathy for the students.

In response, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng stated that more money would be channelled to TAR UC once MCA ceased control of the university.

This, he said, was because the government did not agree with giving public funds to politically-owned bodies. Lim counter-blamed MCA for causing TAR UC to miss out on the funding.

Earlier this month, the minister had urged the Opposition party to let go of the institution or miss out on the RM30 million the government has agreed upon to award it.

Lim said the government would help set up a trust fund for TAR UC to manage the funding, free from government or political interference, once MCA relinquishes control.