Generating Income Through Public Contribution In Malaysian Public Universities For Self-Sufficiency

Abstract

Financial Sustainability is listed as Shift five in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2020. This to ensure the self-sufficiency of the public universities in Malaysia and reduce the dependency on Government. In 2016, the Ministry of Education, has launched the University Transformation Programme Purple Book to guide the Public Universities to engage on income generating initiatives. This book also provides suggestions on income generation activities that can consider to diversify the sources of income. The purpose of this study is to assess on the income generation activities through public contributions, implemented by Public Universities for self-efficiency. Activities suggested on public contributions activities such as university endowment, sustainable waqf, and philanthropic income and fundraising, are adapted and transformed to questionnaire. Questionnaire was distributed to the top management of Public Universities with regard to implementation of these activities. Interesting result was revealed where endowment activities are the most agreeable approach implemented by public universities. Whereas, sustainable waqf earned the lowest agreement. There is also an indication that some Public Universities are really work on all activities that have been suggested. Thus, this study suggested that further study on income generation activities is needed by separating the universities according to the age of establishment, to assess on the most effective income generating activities.