Kedah exco to be charged tomorrow over university admission claims

PETALING JAYA: Kedah executive councillor Haim Hilman Abdullah will be charged in the Seremban magistrates’ court tomorrow over his comments on the public university admission system.

In a Facebook post, the Jitra assemblyman said he would be charged at 9am.

“I will continue to speak up until the truth is upheld, and fair education opportunities for Malaysian children regardless of race are protected,” he said.

Last week, Haim said he was prepared to go to court to defend his claim that public universities were selling spots to the wealthy and that tens of thousands of students had entered through “backdoor” routes.

Haim previously said he was not attacking public universities, merely calling into question the fairness, transparency, and equitable access to educational opportunities for Malaysians, particularly youths from B40 and M40 households.

On June 15, the higher education ministry said it was mulling legal action against Haim over claims he had made in a speech on June 13 that was streamed on Facebook.

The ministry said the allegations undermined the reputation and credibility of the country’s entire higher education system, as well as the thousands of students who had gained admission through legitimate channels.