“Cutting TAR UC’s development allocation from RM5.5 million to RM1 million not only insults the institution, but also showcases the dirty politics of PH,” said Wee in the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the budget.

Wee, who is MP for Ayer Hitam, said he was saddened to see “the lack of sympathy by the Finance Minister towards the Chinese community at TAR UC” even though the Education Ministry received the largest allocation in next year’s budget.

He questioned whether the 2020 Budget was drawn up in accordance with Lim’s personal interests and desires.

“How is it possible for him to have this much deciding power over whether the institution could receive funding despite the fact that TAR UC is a government-recognised higher education institution?” Wee said.

“I am asking Lim to be fair to the 28,000 students at TAR UC, not MCA,” he added.

TAR UC was not allocated any matching grants, administration funds, and development capital, solely because the government had assumed the college was a political institution, said Wee.

Lim has said the college board of trustees should relinquish their posts if they wanted the government to provide more funds. He said political parties should not have control over education institutions and the media and should not receive public funding.

In response, Wee said: “Don’t punish the students just because the institution is related to MCA.” He said MCA had never turned the college into a political platform, and demanded that Lim should stop threatening the college and reinstate the matching grants so that the college could meet its operating costs of RM30-RM50 million