Materia Medica Malaysiana

Nursing college hit by resignations

SITIAWAN: For over a year, students of a nursing college near here have had their classes disrupted by a series of resignations by lecturers when the college management failed to pay their salaries.

The college's chief executive officer Aminuddin Mohd Nafis Shukri said six lecturers have resigned since the college, which accords government-recognised certificates, was set up by Uji Maju Properties Sdn Bhd in January 2002.

He said the company also delayed in paying the salaries of the administrative staff, adding that he had not been paid his September salary nor for the last three months.

“This has been going on since early last year. There are now three lecturers remaining when there should be seven to 10 at any one time,” he said.

The college now has 148 students, 65 of whom were sponsored by the Health Ministry.

Perak Education, Human Resources and Multimedia Committee chairman Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir advised the company to act quickly in resolving the problems.

He said he would discuss the technical aspects of the matter with the education department and the Health Ministry before the Government takes action.

He said several alternatives would also be discussed, including bringing in lecturers or sending the students to nursing colleges nearby.

“We do not want the students to fail due to reasons beyond their control.

“Institutes of higher learning must ensure students are not victimised or neglected,” he said.

Dr Zambry said this after making a surprise inspection at the college and talking to disgruntled students and staff members yesterday.

The students also complained of poor library resources, lack of adequate security at their hostel and the failure of the management to provide the promised recreational facilities.

One student, Norfazilawati Abd Rani, 21, from Pahang, said her coursemates have seen lecturers teaching for only two or three months before leaving.

Other students said the management had threatened to bar private students who failed to pay their fees from sitting for the semester-end examination.

Dr Zambry said the company owner, who was currently in Indonesia, could not be contact