More than 400 Malaysian students studying in the Ukraine-based Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) told MIC president S Samy Vellu about their ordeal with the agents.

The students related their experience at a closed-door meeting with Samy, who is also works minister, at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

"They face a lot of difficulties from a few agents. Every single thing must have the approval from the agents," he told reporters when met after the two-hour long dialogue.

Samy promised to raise the issue with the Malaysian ambassador in Ukraine as well as write to the Ukranian government on the matters raised by the students.

"They (students) said the agents terrorised the university. Nothing can be done without going through them," he said.

The minister said he will tell the ambassador there to urge the university to communicate directly with the students instead of going through the agents.

"The agents want to control students to the maximum. They also said that the university itself is afraid of the agents," he added.

Samy stressed that the problem must be rectified as it is psychologically affecting the students.

"I will have to talk this over with Higher Education Minister (Dr Mohd Shafie Salleh) and Health Minister (Dr Chua Soi Lek) to regulate the agents and de-regulate their activities," he said.

Currently, there are four agents recognised by CSMU. In order to secure a place in the university, the students are required to go through them.

Malaysian agents

Samy said the agents were all Malaysians. "Only Malaysians can do this sort of thing. Others are not well-trained to do this," he added.

The minister also said that he will approach Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar to correspond with the Ukraine counterpart to assist in the matter.

Another issue raised by the students was agencies not willing to provide study loans.

They complained of being turned down by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) when they requested for study loans.

Samy said the Johor and Selangor Education Foundations have refused to continue providing loans to the students because the university will be de-recognised by the year end.

"I promise them that I will discuss with the Selangor and Johor chief ministers to continue with the funding because students who are currently in the (medical) course are in the recognised status.

"A lot of agencies do not want to pay the students. They were told EPF did not want to pay because the university will be de-recognised," he added.

Samy said he will also raise the matter with the EPF.

On allegations of rape and corruption in the university, he said, "No student talked to me about this. So we have nothing to say about it."

The allegations were raised by the health minister on June 30, who claimed that these were among the factors behind the government's decision to de-recognise the university.

Parents disappointed

Meanwhile, Samy reiterated that current CSMU students will not be affected by the de-recognition, which will take effect after Dec 31 this year.

There are 1067 undergraduates and 247 pre-medical Malaysian students in CSMU.

Samy also revealed that he will visit CSMU in October.

About 100 parents waited anxiously outside the hall where the dialogue was held. Only the students were allowed in.

"I feel disappointed. I thought I could listen together and know what is going on," said Saharudin Abdul Rahman, whose daughter is a second year student at CSMU.

Expressing similar disappointment was Goh Ah Lak.

"I think they owe it to the parents. They are the ones who support them (students). It shouldn't be a closed-door thing," he said.

Another parent, Hafni Ibrahim, said he took the day off to attend the dialogue.

He said the government should give proper licences to the agents. "Who else can we rely on if not the government?"

He also asked why parents did not receive any official letter from the Malaysian Medical Council regarding the de-recognition.

Parimala Shanmugam, the mother of a pre-medical student, said her daughter does not want to continue studying at CSMU any longer.

Despite spending close to RM30,000, she said that she will respect her daughter's decision.