Writer: Li Shimeng, Liao Yuqing
Editor: Wu Junke, Sun Zhitong, Chen Jingkun
BANGI, 23 Dec - Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is under fire as students from the KOLEJ IBU ZAIN (KIZ) dormitory express their dissatisfaction over delayed deposit refunds. The students, who completed their studies in September this year, claim that the university's inefficient handling of the refund process has resulted in a delay of almost two months.
(Source: Xiao Hong Shu: UKM - What about international student dormitories?)
It is known that these students ended their studies in September of this year and according to the rules, they should have received their refunded deposits within a month of moving out of the dormitory. However, so far, many of them have still not received their money.
"We feel helpless because we need the money to pay other fees or to save up. We don't understand why the university is dragging its feet for so long and not giving us a reasonable explanation," said UKM FSSK faculty-student Su Ling, who used to live in the Kolej Ibu Zain dormitory.
(Source: This photo is a screenshot from WhatsApp Official Group KIZ)
Despite repeated inquiries about the refund's progress, the students have only received ambiguous responses, apologetic emails, or vague assurances of a payment deadline.
(Source: This photo is a screenshot of LI SHIMENG, who so far has not received the refund)
Sun Zhitong, another UKM FSSK faculty student, who lived at Kolej Ibu Zain, reported receiving an email stating that the deposit had been refunded to their account but found no evidence of the transaction upon checking their account.
"My deposit was finally refunded, although I didn't receive it, it was a long wait, and I would like to ask that since the job of refunding deposits is difficult for Kolej Ibu Zain employees, why doesn't the university do some initiatives about it ahead of time, and why does it make us bear the cost of time?" Zhitong said.
Gao Yifan, a UKM FSSK faculty student who lived in Kolej Ibu Zain last semester, echoed these sentiments, expressing disappointment with the efficiency of UKM's finance department and feeling that the university did not respect their rights or fulfill their responsibilities.
"We hope the Kolej Ibu Zain will resolve this issue as soon as possible and not keep us waiting. We also hope that the Kolej Ibu Zain will visualize the process in the future so that we can be clear about the refund's progress," she said.
The students are calling for the university to resolve this issue promptly and to improve transparency in the refund process in the future. Attempts to contact the head of Kolej Ibu Zain's finance department for comment have been unsuccessful. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Nadi Bangi's team has contacted the Kolej Ibu Zain management regarding this issue.
