Universiti Tun Abdul Razak's (Unitar) accounts are strictly maintained and audited by professional auditors, said its vice-president Dr Sheikh Ghazali Abod today.

"All accounts of the university are strictly maintained and audited yearly by prestigious professional auditors as Unitar is owned by a public listed company.

"Any possibly misuse would have been detected by our strict audit process and we would have to go a long way to clarify and rectify possible discrepancies in our accounts," he added in a statement.

He was responding to the case of an ex-Unitar student, Tee Chai Chin, who was billed RM25,000 for an education loan, which she claimed she never took.

According to Sheikh Ghazali, who oversees the university's operations, it has been a policy that the university "is not privy" to all applications and agreements signed between the students and the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).

Prior to 2003, PTPTN loans were channeled to applicants through their universities, which were responsible for disbursing the money to students after deducting their tuition fees. They were also obliged to verify the status of the students - a prerequisite - before each disbursement.

The signing of agreements between PTPTN and applicants were handled through varsities in almost all cases.

The system however was changed later after students complained about delays in disbursement. The corporation now banks in the payment directly into the applicant's account.

Police report considered

Yesterday, Tee, who is now a manager with a company dealing with wood panels in Selangor, told malaysiakini that her particulars were used without her consent to secure the loan.

She was among 26 ex-Unitar students whose outstanding loan amount, somewhere in the region of half a million, was held by the university. Unitar claimed that it had refunded the balance but a check later revealed that the students were still listed as defaulters.

In his statement, Sheikh Ghazali said the university was willing to assist students with similar problems and asked them to come forward.

He added that the university will also ask PTPTN for an explanation as the corporation would never disburse loans without having the agreement signed and verified.

Contacted later, Tee said she was glad that Unitar's management had offered to help now but on the same note, pointed out that her earlier efforts to seek assistance from them were in vain.

She also challenged the university and PTPTN to show her the loan agreement that was said to have been signed by her.

"Certainly I would not pay the RM25,000. If there is a necessity, I could show my bank account to prove that I am innocent," she added.

Tee is also considering lodging a police report on the matter as well as engaging the services of a lawyer.

Unitar was set up in 1997 as the country's first Multimedia Super Corridor-status virtual university. It provides education though online technology and facilitator-based tutorials or academic meetings.

The university is wholly owned by public listed company KUB Malaysia Bhd, whose chairperson Hassan Harun is also Unitar chairperson and a former Umno supreme council member.

He has been a member of the PTPTN board of directors since 1998.