Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy wants the Education Ministry to explain why the problematic Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS) continues to be issued an operating licence despite its alleged financial mess.

Ramasamy during a press conference today urged the university founder Zainuddin Wazir to address the issue immediately as he has yet to respond to the problem despite various reports highlighted in the media since April.

Ramasamy ( right ) said while it is an ongoing problem in Penang, the state is powerless to assist except to highlight the matter as education is under the federal government's jurisdiction.

"We can only make noise and highlight the issue. We hope the ministry will act swiftly to resolve the problem," he added.

"We are meeting the parents of students involved soon and see what we can do to assist," he added.

He was referring to the institution in Kepala Batas, which had allegedly failed to pay salaries to its staff and left about 476 students in the lurch after the university closed due to its alleged financial crisis.

Of the 476, 208 were offered places in other local universities, but were later told by the Malaysian Medical Council that the places had been cancelled as it was over the quota.

Students still stranded

On Monday, Penang Consumer Protection Association president K Koris Atan ( left ) held a press conference with about 50 students and their families who pleaded for the federal government to intervene in the matter.

According to Koris, about 160 students are yet to be offered places in any university.

AUCMS registrar Basir Elon has told the media that the ministry has given the institution six months to resolve its problems.

He denied reports that Zainuddin was missing, adding that the latter was currently in London.

Ramasamy asked, "Is he there for a holiday?"

"If such a situation happened in other countries, those involved would have been detained and put behind bars," he quipped.

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