Multimedia University (MMU) says it will have to prioritise allocations for student activities after reversing a decision to raise its student activities fee (SAF).

"In the view of this decision, the university and student’s body will have to prioritise the allocations for organising activities in order to ensure the greater and impactful outcome," MMU president Ahmad Rafi Mohamed Eshaq said in a statement today.

On July 23, about 1,000 students gathered at the university's Malacca campus to protest what they described as an unfair SAF hike.

MMU had intended to raise the SAF from RM110 per year to RM500.

This was announced in a memo, which also noted that the hike, meant to facilitate student activities with a higher impact, would be implemented in April 2020.

Students’ Representative Council president Pouria Zibaei had claimed the announcement of the fee hike was made without the approval of the council, clubs and societies.

Following the protest, the MMU contacted the SRC to negotiate on the fees - which led to the decision to maintain the SAF at RM110 per year.

"At MMU, we have always emphasised the growth of our students. To that end, we have been open to suggestions, and always been inclusive in our decision-making.

"The fact that we included the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) in the process is a testament to this policy," Rafi said.