The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member. The Government, rebuked by the people in the local government elections, should follow the direction given by that mandate. Instead, it proceeds wrongly. A clear example: the State Minister of Defence said here that admissions to the medical faculty of Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) will now be for foreign students and cadets only, excluding Sri Lankan students. Is this an NPP or JVP decision? I doubt that.

¶ 02 This decision is wrong. Who goes to KDU’s medical faculty? Typically about 120 per batch—children who narrowly miss State medical admission and pay to study. Each student spends about Rs. 25 million to complete the degree. Why block this? We lost our chance to become an education hub decades ago when students went to Malaysia and India. Malaysia now earns about US$1.5 billion annually from foreign students. Around 700–800 Sri Lankan medical students go abroad annually—to Belarus, China, the UK, USA, etc.—at average costs around US$100,000, so US$70–80 million flow out yearly. KDU admissions keep about US$12 million within the country.

¶ 03 When Belarus and China produce doctors at high cost for our students, why block our own fair-cost pathway? Who wants this? The previous wrong decisions against SAITM and new faculties pushed students abroad; those countries now profit. Correct this now. This is not about my child or personal benefit—an engineer who often criticized us messaged me in frustration about this decision. Even he says it’s madness.

¶ 04 Does the Minister of Education agree with stopping KDU medical admissions? Those who believe in liberal values—do you agree? I think not. This decision will have to be reversed, if this Government lasts five years—which I doubt.

¶ 05 Why is there silence? Hon. Watagala, do you support shutting KDU medical admissions? The KDU was built with taxpayers’ money. How much Treasury money was spent to bring it to medical faculty status? If so, for whose interest was this decision taken? Tell the public.

¶ 06 Regional hospitals—Polonnaruwa, Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Galgamuwa—lack doctors. Such decisions further harm healthcare. If we had five KDU-like faculties, the 700–800 students leaving annually would stay, improving our own services of already high standard. That is the mandate you were given. There is no Opposition opposing everything today. If you think it’s right, stand up and say so. Otherwise, correct it.

¶ 07 Thank you.