Starbucks at IPTAs???

I was dumbfounded after reading this article, which appeared in today's Sunday Post, p. B3 under the heading: Body receptive to foreign franchisees opening outlets at local varsities.

Apparently, the Higher Education Ministry has given permission to franchise holders like Starbucks, Kopitiam and Dunkin Donuts to open their outlets in public institutions of higher learning. Okay, as a business student, it means better opportunity to franchisees but to me, if I were to subsidize, I doubt I would call this an opportunity. Well, if I subsidize, yes, more customers=more revenue (which may not equate to higher profit). If I don't subsidize, less customers as it's too expensive and not many students can afford to patronize it minimum, once a week.

That aside, I don't think it is a good idea. I mean an average Starbucks coffee would cost about RM10 per cup. RM10 for a cup of coffee isn’t cheap, at least for me. How many students are earning their own money or do not have to rely on their parents or guardian for pocket money?? If students are not relying on their parents or guardian for pocket money, fair enough- they can go indulge themselves in a cup of gourment coffee to compensate for their hard work. If they aren’t and are currently relying on FA-MA@father mother for their pocket money, aren't we encouraging them to spend what-is-not-their-money-in-the-first-place lavishly and soon, FA-MA would have to remit more money to their kids?

Deputy Minister of Higher Eduction, Dato Idris Haron claimed that by opening Starbucks on campus, would help provide a more comfortable place for the student's to study with wifi internet connections. Is he trying to say that local universities does not have campus-wide wireless connection?? I don’t know as I’m not a local uni student. HECK, they didn’t want me in the first place because my academic intelligence level according to the Malaysian public exam (which does not cover cognitive thinking skills and ability to think-outside-the-box) was below their standard. From what I heard from my friends, most local universities eg. USM has wireless coverage in most parts such as the library, lecture halls, main hall and etc. and all hostel cafes have wi-fi.

In my point of view, opening a Starbucks on campus would just add different social classes among the students.
Class 1: those who can afford Starbucks and enjoy it,
Class 2: those who can't afford Starbucks, and watch jealously at those who can afford it go there,
and Class 3: Wannabes; those who don't have that much discretionary money, but heck, since everyone's going, I so have to go or Class 1 would not want to be my friend. (those who succumb to peer pressure easily).
So in short, I think it's just not good for the students.

Imagine this scenario:- doing assignment in a group. The group consist of Group 1, 2 and 3 students. The Class 1, being the leader, decides to go to Starbucks for assignment discussion since they can't discuss in the library as library is too full of groups that comprise of Class 2 students. Class 3 student agrees (got to please the Class 1 leader so that he/she would not look down on me). Thus, majority wins so Starbucks is the place. Both Class 1 and Class 3 students are drinking the Ice Blended so Class 2 student is somehow compelled to order a drink too (plain water excluded). Class 2 student orders the cheapest drink unwillingly and is thinking of eating Maggi mee for dinner tonight to cut cost. Is there a possibility that this scenario would happen?? I don't know but I hope it is only hypothetical scenario.

Okay, the Malaysian Franchise Association chairman, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir was smarter to say that local coffee franchisees should be given the same opportunity. Well, that’s a better idea as I expect our local coffee franchisees to be cheaper as compared to Starbucks, albeit different quality. Thus, it wouldn’t be that painful on the students’ pocket (Don't get me wrong, I’m not trying to imply that price is a surrogate indicator of quality).

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir then continued, “University students would loiter outside the campus. So if we allow them (franchisees) to open the outlets in the campus, what more with wi-fi facilities, it will help the students to stay in the campus to enjoy the gourment coffee." After reading that line, I thought his IQ level dropped one notch. I’m not insulting him or what. But why is Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir worried about UNIVERSITY students loitering? University students should be matured enough to think. HELLO, they are UNI students, NOT secondary school students. The youngest of them all should be around 19 years old. Is he trying to imply that some uni students are still immature and often spent their time doing something unproductive. If yes, how did they enter Local Universities which is actually more difficult to gain entry as compared to private institutions of higher learning???. This makes me doubt the standards of our local universities. Students actually have the time to loiter… Heck, when I was doing the diploma course before (and even now), my weekends were dedicated to assignments, tutorials, revision for upcoming quizzes, and some leisure activities eg online, tv and window shopping to relax. I had/ have practically no time to loiter...

PS: I’m not trying to insult any local university students here but Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir actually used the word LOITER, which somehow gave me an impression of how free students are over there. Therefore, my sincere apologies if I have hurt your feelings. I had no intention to do so as I only said some local u students are immature.

By the way, are university students who spent their time LOITERING a product of the Pendidikan Moral syllabus? Has studying and memorising the 36 "nilai moral" and their definitions in any way made us more virtuous?? Do moral decadence, juvenile delinquency, vandalism, drug ingestion and abuse, glue sniffing, gangsterism still exist in schools, universities and the society?? Has Pendidikan Moral really made a better moral society??? Cadit qauestio.