In the wake of news on varsity budget cuts and teaching staff lay-offs, opposition pact Pakatan Harapan has urged the government to top-up expenditures for public universities.

"We urge the government to increase allocations for public universities and create more permanent posts than contract positions, instead of cutting varsity budgets and increasing allocations for non-relevant programmes," read its statement today.

The statement, jointly issued by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from PKR, Zairil Khir Johari of DAP and Parti Amanah Nasional's (Amanah) Faiz Fadzil, said such measures would solve the financial woes faced by public universities...