Universiti Malaysia Sabah clarifies online orientation move, says students with poor internet may stay on campus

KOTA KINABALU, June 15 — Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has clarified its decision to conduct orientation and academic sessions online for selected foundation programmes after a viral social media post sparked confusion and concern among incoming students and parents.

The issue began after an internal university directive dated June 4 instructed that the Minggu Suai Mesra (MSM) orientation programme and Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran (PdP) sessions for students enrolled in the Foundation in Information Technology and Foundation in Social Sciences programmes for the 2026/2027 academic session be conducted entirely online.

According to the directive, the decision was made in line with the government’s preparedness measures in managing current geopolitical crisis risks.

Lecturers and students involved were instructed to ensure that all teaching and learning activities proceed according to the established schedule using suitable online platforms. 

The directive quickly drew attention after a Threads post questioning the decision went viral, attracting approximately 1,600 likes, 41 comments and 71 reposts at the time of writing.

In the post, the user expressed shock that new students would not be required to attend physically on June 14 for registration but, instead, return home to continue their studies online for the entire semester.

The post also raised concerns about students who had already paid more than RM1,000 in fees, including accommodation charges and questioned the fate of students from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak who had already travelled to Sabah and incurred significant travel expenses.

“Students have already paid for residential college accommodation but are unable to stay in the accommodation they paid for. What exactly are they paying for?” the post read.

The post further argued that students who had already arrived in Sabah should at least be allowed to remain in campus accommodation while attending classes online, instead of being told to return home.

In response to the growing public reaction, UMS on Friday issued an official statement providing further clarification on the implementation of the online orientation and learning arrangement.

The university said the online implementation of MSM and PdP would apply only to the Foundation in Information Technology and Foundation in Social Sciences programmes for Semester 1 of the 2026/2027 academic session.

UMS explained that the decision was made in support of recommendations by the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT), which has encouraged higher education institutions to consider online teaching and learning as a measure to reduce travel costs and fuel consumption during the current period.

Acknowledging concerns raised by students and parents, the university stated that students who had already purchased flight tickets or made accommodation arrangements would still be allowed to attend and register on campus according to the scheduled dates.

The university also announced that students facing internet connectivity issues at their homes may apply for on-campus accommodation to ensure their studies can continue without disruption.

Addressing one of the key concerns circulating online, UMS said it is currently reviewing issues related to fees and other financial implications arising from the decision to ensure that any action taken is fair and takes into account the welfare of students and their families.

The university urged affected students and parents seeking further information to contact the UMS Centre for Science and Technology Preparatory Studies (PPST).

While the university’s statement addressed several concerns, questions regarding accommodation payments and potential financial adjustments remain under review as students await further details from the institution. — Daily Express