CAP urges the Higher Education Ministry to review and recall its decision to allow franchise cafés like Starbucks, Kopitiam and Dunkin Donuts to operate in institutes of higher learning.

As cited by the Higher Education Deputy Minister Idris Jusoh, permission for these franchise cafés were granted because these outlets would provide broadband Wi-Fi services to students.

Such a reason is unacceptable as it is the responsibility of the university to provide broadband Wi-Fi facilities to students, and not depend on franchise cafés to do so.

The prices of food and drinks are also higher in these cafés than in local outlets. A drink at Starbucks costs between RM6 and RM20. This would be a disregard to the call by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for Malaysians to spend wisely and be thrifty.

To promote franchise cafés would only encourage students to spend unnecessarily and maintain lifestyles where proper spending habits are not prioritised.

With the high cost of living in current times, the importance of being thrifty and spending wisely should be made aware to students.

CAP agrees with the deputy minister that franchise cafés complete with Wi-Fi services would provide students with a comfortable and conducive learning environment.

However, this could also be made possible through local outlets, without the need to employ international franchisers to operate premises in local universities.

Questions arise on why opportunities to operate business premises are not simply given to university students.

Besides such offers being made to small and medium-industry operators, students would also be capable of operating cafés complete with broadband services if they are given the necessary training and guidance.

Research by the Economic Planning Unit in the year 2005 revealed that business administration graduates made up a large number of those unemployed.

Therefore, the Ministry of Higher Education should work hand-in-hand with the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry to encourage students to get involved in business activities and entrepreneurship, and to initiate business premises which are operated by students in campus.

In foreign countries for instance, most international universities oppose the introduction of franchise cafés in campuses, but instead encourage students to form groups and operate their own cafés.

For example, the Nottingham University in Britain is one of such universities which opposed the opening of Starbucks on their campus. As an alternative, university students run their own café.

The main reason for the objection of Starbucks in foreign universities is the high content of caffeine in the coffee served at these outlets. According to studies by the University of Florida, College of Medicine, 16 ounces of Starbucks coffee contained 259 mg to 564 mg of caffeine, a high amount compared to the maximum allowed caffeine content of 300 mg by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

However, Starbucks has only briefly displayed nutritional information on their website, without exact information as to the caffeine content in their drinks.

The Higher Education Ministry should take into consideration the views of university students and society, as the permission to allow franchise cafés to operate in local universities only hinders efforts towards a healthier and globally competent younger generation.

The efforts to introduce franchise cafés would also fail the government in forming qualified graduates in the field of entrepreneurship.

The writer is president, Consumers’ Association of Penang.