After a 22-year-long wait, the Higher Education Ministry has finally approved the application of Southern College, the first institution of higher education established by the Malaysian Chinese community, to upgrade to university college status.

NONE Located in Skudai, Johor, Southern College is also the first and only non-profit Chinese community college to obtain the status, which is described as ‘a dream come true’ for the community that had invested enormous funds and efforts into the development of Chinese education in Malaysia.

The other two non-profit colleges established by the Chinese community are New Era College, located in Kajang and operated by prominent Chinese education group Dong Zong, and Han Jiang College in Penang.

Both colleges are also applying to upgrade their status.

Founded in 1990 with support and donations from within the community, Southern College was an effort by the community to establish a complete Chinese education system from primary to tertiary education, complementing the existing Chinese primary schools and Chinese independent high schools, and inheriting Chinese cultural tradition and values.

The approval has been front-paged in many Chinese dailies yesterday and today.

According to Sin Chew Daily , Deputy Higher Education Minister Hou Kok Chung said the ministry will organise an official ceremony to hand over the written approval to the college’s board of directors.

Members of the board had also received an approval letter signed by Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin yesterday at the ministry’s office in Putrajaya.

In line with the upgrade, the board also announced that it plans to raise RM20 million to enhance the college’s infrastructure and teaching staff.

They hoped that the government could assist the college by providing an allocation to match the amount raised by the board, a model adopted by the government to fund Tunku Abdul Rahman College owned by MCA.

MCA quick to claim the credit

Immediately after the approval was announced, MCA was quick to claim the credit.

During a press conference yesterday, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said the party has been giving strong support to the college since its establishment.

NONE “We are happy that Southern College in Johor has been upgraded to a university college. This college has a long history of working with Johor MCA as well as the central MCA.

“We helped them to get the land, conversion, permit to operate a college, conversion of land and land premium - these were all through MCA’s help.

“It was also through MCA’s effort, especially the deputy higher education minister (Hou) that we were able to upgrade Southern College to be a university college today,” he said.

MCA has also donated RM300,000 to the college as maintenance fees, Chua added.