In a press conference at the campus, MCA president Wee Ka Siong said the funds are crucial for the students who are the future of the country.

He also thanked transport minister Loke Siew Fook and deputy finance minister Steven Sim for getting the grant approved.

“No one expected me to be sitting next to Loke, who is also the DAP secretary-general, but thanks to the unity government, we have approved this grant.

“When I met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, this was the first thing I brought up and thankfully it has been resolved. This is like an ‘angpow’ for TAR UMT since Chinese New Year is coming,” said Wee, who is also the TAR Education Foundation board of trustees chairman.

Loke, who also attended the press conference, said funding for TAR UMT had been a polemic issue.

“We didn’t want to lengthen the issue hence the government reviewed and approved this grant.

“We hope the management will ensure this campus will continue to improve for the students,” he said.

Loke added that this would be a yearly affair as far as he was concerned.

“I would like to give more, but all that depends on the financial health of the government.”

In 2019, former finance minister Lim Guan Eng said the government at the time would channel RM60 million in funds to the MCA-owned university if the party was willing to relinquish its ownership.

This led to a war of words between MCA leaders, including Wee and Lim.

Lim later said the government had approved an annual allocation of at least RM30 million for a trust fund, to be managed by the Tunku Abdul Rahman Alumni Association (TAA).

The institution was founded by MCA in 1969.