Undergraduates at the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) Malaysia say they suffer the economic strain but unlike 75 percent of their counterparts in a recent survey , they still have enough to spend on food.

The students, however, shared with Malaysiakini that they employ multiple strategies in order to scrape by every month.

Their situation is better than many of those polled by the Muslim Volunteer Malaysia Association (MVMA).

The survey results, released two days ago, was shocking - three quarters admitted to being in situations where there isn’t enough even for basic sustenance.

UIA was one of the public universities included in the poll, which involved 25,632 students from six public universities.

The students pointed out that the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), which a lot of them rely on, is enough to cover fees and living costs.

While the undergrads try to be prudent, they still have to ask for money from parents to make up for the shortfall.

Final-year engineering student Muhd Shaifuddin Suharsono said from the RM3,500 he received per semester, he is left with RM2,130 after the deduction of RM920 for tuition and RM450 for the hostel.

It averages to RM532.50 per month in a four-month semester.

Food, not drinks

Typically, Shaifuddin would spend RM8 daily on food - mixed rice for lunch, with one vegetable and a meat dish; and for dinner, nasi lemak with meat protein.

To save, he makes his own breakfast, and when he goes out, he doesn’t order any drinks.

“I will eat breakfast in my dorm. I do not drink at the canteen (during lunch and dinner). Instead, I will make coffee or tea in my room.

“I always participate in weekly university activities. If I am lucky, I could get free food at these events. If not, then I have no choice (but to buy food).”

After taking out money for grocery, petrol allowance for his motorbike, and social expenses, he has RM100 left to carry over to the next semester.

He also gets RM50 or RM100 from his parents whenever he goes back to his hometown of Kuantan, Pahang. That money, he said, goes to his contingency kitty.

“The PTPTN loan is enough to scrape by,” Shaifuddin said, though he admitted he did not take on a part-time job.

He said the time when PTPTN payouts were delayed was a sobering moment for many.

“That time, many people went hungry,” he said. His own bank balance then was near zero.

Money can last

Born in Taiping, Perak, Shafie Omar ( photo ) is a second-year student at the engineering faculty.

Like Shaifuddin, he gets his RM3,500 PTPTN loan each semester and is also left with RM532.50 monthly, after deductions.

“I can survive on that for a month. I am single, without family; that’s why the money can last,” he said after finishing some nasi tomato, a Friday lunch special prepared by the canteen.

However, Shafie has extra in the pocket; he earns RM300 as a part-time insurance agent.

“We use money from our parents’ (before the PTPTN fund comes through). Later, when I am working, I can pay them back.”

Another uia student, Fauzan Jamaluddin, only gets RM1,000 per semester from PTPTN. It is enough to cover the tuition fee, but he needs to come up with RM400 to pay for the hostel fee.

Asked whether he has reached a point when he has absolutely nothing left for food, Fauzan said ‘yes’.

“I have, at the end of the month. But the money is not enough because I spend too much, not for other reasons.”

Parents rescue

The MVMA survey found 57 percent of the students budgeting RM5 a day for food.

Nutrition remains an issue as 44 percent survive on instant noodles, while 41 percent eat only rice with fried egg and sauce.

Another UIA engineering student, Ahmad Lukman Johari ( photo ), said he could not get a PTPTN loan so his parents had to come to the rescue.

He is lucky enough to stay near his parents’ house in Gombak.

He reckons starving varsity students do exist, but is not the norm.

“I have heard of someone being too poor to have a meal but not that frequently.”