MALACCA: About 700 students of the Malaysian Multimedia University (MMU) gathered at the President Square at the university campus at Bukit Beruang here to protest the increase in their fee of up to RM1,000 a year, effective last month.

They staged a peaceful protest for more than a hour and dispersed at about noon.

One of the students, but who declined to be identified, said the protest was over the drastic increase in the information technology and library fee which they had to settle immediately.

"Before this, the fee was only RM200 a year, but the information technology and library fee has been changed to resource fee and increased to RM1,000.

"We are shock because the increase is too much and a burden for us all, especially those who rely on study loan, like the National Higher Education Fund Corporation," said the 23-year-old student when met by reporters.

He said the university students' representatives had met with the MMU management three times since last month to resolve the matter, but no solution was reached.

The MMU management claimed that the fee was still low compared with other private universities, he added.

Meanwhile, MMU president Prof Datuk Dr Muhamad Rasat Muhamad, in a statement sent by facsimile to Bernama, said the new fee rate was imposed with the approval of the Education Ministry.

"The fee gas to be increased considering the current economic situation, including the increase in utility tariff, as well as the price of goods and services provided by our suppliers," he added.

He said a meeting with the students would be held after the Aidilfitri celebration to explain to them the reason for the new fee.

To help ease the students' burden, MMU has decided to allow them to pay the fee in stages and based on semester, instead of in one lump sum, he added. – Bernama