Definitions
For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions:
• "Junior Student" refers to any participant under the age of 18.
• "Adult Student" refers to any participant aged 18 or above.
• "Guardian" refers to the parent or legal guardian of a Junior Student.
• "The Academy" refers to MEC Academy (Pusat Bahasa MEC Sdn. Bhd.).
• "Program" refers to any course, camp, or training session offered by the Academy.
Where a Junior Student is enrolled, the Guardian is deemed to have agreed to these Terms jointly and severally with the student.
Article 1 — Purpose
These Terms and Conditions define the rights and obligations between MEC Academy (hereinafter "the Academy") and the student (and their Guardian), aiming to ensure the smooth operation of the program and maintain a productive academic environment.
Article 2 — Placement Test and Class Assignment
• All students must take the Oxford English Placement Test once before classes begin; class assignments and timetables are based on the results. A re-test request incurs an additional fee of RM 100.
• Class assignments are updated weekly and may be split or merged based on enrollment numbers. Curriculum progress remains consistent regardless of class changes.
• If a class has fewer than 3 students, the Academy may replace 2 hours of group sessions with 1 hour of 1:1 instruction.
• For Junior vacation programs with 60 or fewer total students, classes may be consolidated into a 09:00 start (08:10 during Ramadan).
• Requests for class re-assignment based on personal preference are not permitted. An exception is reviewed once only where a significant discrepancy between the test result and actual ability is objectively proven (including an instructor's opinion); administrative processing may take up to 3 days.
• Changes based on instructor gender, race, or accent are strictly not accepted.
Article 3 — Attendance and Conduct
• Students must participate diligently in all classes. Arriving more than 5 minutes after the class start is recorded as a Tardy; two tardies equal one absence.
• Three unexcused absences within 4 weeks will result in dismissal from the program.
• Absences due to personal reasons (including illness) are recorded as such, and no make-up classes or refunds will be provided, except where attendance is restricted due to a contagious disease as set out in Article 10.
Article 4 — Postponement, Modifications, and Transfer
4.1 Pre-Commencement Modifications
Before the program commences, a student may request a course postponement (up to 1 year), a course-type change, or a duration reduction. Administration fees apply according to the timing of the request:
• 28 or more days before start: Administration fee RM 250
• 7 to 27 days before start: Administration fee RM 400
• Within 6 days of start: Modifications not permitted
• The administration fee must be paid in full at the time of request; the Academy processes the modification only after payment is confirmed.
• A postponed course must be resumed within 1 year. If tuition has increased by the time of resumption, the student must pay the difference in full. Where the student enrolled at a discounted rate, the standard (non-discounted) rate applies to any postponement or change.
• Reductions in course or study duration are not permitted after commencement.
4.2 Transfer of Enrolment
• Transfer of enrolment to another person (including sale or gift) is not permitted as a rule. However, before commencement only, and where 4 weeks (28 days) or more of the course remain, one transfer per original registration may be made with the Academy's prior approval; the receiving person must pay a new Registration Fee in full before the course begins.
4.3 Cancellation and Refund
• Cancellation and refund are governed by Article 11.
Article 5 — Academic Environment and Conduct
5.1 Prohibited Conduct
The following conduct is strictly prohibited within the Academy premises and during all Academy-related activities:
• Improper or disruptive use of smartphones or personal electronic devices during class.
• Use of any language other than English during class time, in order to maintain the immersive learning environment.
• Any behaviour that disrupts the flow of the lesson or negatively impacts the learning of others, including harassment, verbal abuse, or physical violence toward other students, instructors, or staff, and persistent disturbance.
• Any form of intimidation or discrimination that creates an unsafe or hostile environment.
5.2 Disciplinary Procedure
The Academy adopts a progressive disciplinary approach:
• 1st Incident — Verbal Warning: documented in the student's record
• 2nd Incident — Written Warning (Warning Letter): Guardian notified (for Junior Students)
• 3rd Incident — Dismissal from the Program: no refund will be issued
• Serious or repeated violations — including violence, sexual harassment, or unauthorised recording/publication — may bypass the steps above and result in immediate suspension or dismissal.
5.3 Defamation and Reputational Harm
Spreading false or defamatory information about the Academy, threatening or intimidating staff, or inciting other students so as to cause damage to the Academy's image or economic interests may result in legal action. The Academy reserves the right to pursue all available remedies under Malaysian law.
Article 6 — Minor Students and Guardians' Obligations
6.1 Health Disclosure
• Guardians must disclose the student's physical and mental health conditions prior to enrollment (including anything that may affect group participation, such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, allergies, or chronic illnesses). The Academy uses disclosed information solely and minimally for safety-management purposes.
• Liability and costs for issues arising from non-disclosure rest with the Guardian. A student deemed unfit for group participation due to an undisclosed condition may be dismissed.
6.2 Unaccompanied Minor Students
• The Guardian must designate a local emergency contact — an adult resident in Malaysia — who can be reached at all times during the student's enrollment period.
• The Guardian must submit a Medical Consent Form prior to the student's arrival, authorising the Academy's designated staff to arrange emergency medical treatment and hospital attendance where the Guardian cannot be reached in time.
• Junior Students may not leave the Academy premises during program hours without the Guardian's prior written consent; overnight absence from Academy-arranged accommodation likewise requires the Guardian's prior written consent.
• The Academy's duty of care applies only during scheduled program hours and organised activities; it is not responsible for the student's conduct or safety during unsupervised personal time outside those hours.
6.3 Child Safeguarding
The Academy operates in accordance with the Malaysian Child Act 2001 and maintains internal child safeguarding protocols, including restrictions on unsupervised one-on-one contact between staff and minor students.
6.4 End-of-Program Handover
For unaccompanied Junior Students, the Guardian must confirm in writing the designated adult who will collect the student at the conclusion of the program. The Academy will not release a minor student to an undesignated individual without the Guardian's prior written authorisation.
Article 7 — Privacy, Media, and Recording/Publication
• Personal data is collected and used for program operation, safety, and administrative purposes in accordance with the Malaysian Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA).
• Photos or videos created during educational activities may be used for the Academy's promotional purposes. Students are deemed to have consented to such media use upon enrolment; however, a student (or the Guardian, for Junior Students) may opt out at their discretion.
• Recording and publication. To protect the privacy of students and staff and the Academy's teaching materials, students (and their Guardians) may not photograph, audio- or video-record, or live-stream any class, instructor, staff member, other student, or any Academy or accommodation facility without the Academy's prior written approval. Students may not publish, broadcast, or share any such photograph, recording, or footage — including on social media — without prior written approval, and may not publish images or recordings of another student, in particular a minor, without that person's (or their Guardian's) consent. Breaches of this clause are subject to Article 5.2.
Article 8 — Use of Facilities and Student ID
• The Academy operates at its EduCity Campus and Forest City Campus; students must comply with the rules of their assigned campus. Unauthorised entry to restricted areas of any campus is prohibited, and the Academy is not liable for accidents caused by a student's own negligence.
• Students are liable for damage caused to Academy facilities or to the property of others.
• Students must wear their student ID at all times on premises; entry may be denied without a valid ID. Re-issuance fee: RM 50.
• No classes are held on Malaysian public holidays, and no compensation or make-up classes are provided for those dates.
Article 9 — Insurance and Liability
• All students must hold valid insurance covering injury, illness, and accidents during the program, at their own responsibility and expense (personal policy or Academy-arranged policy).
• Personal matters arising to a student on or off the Academy premises — including injury, illness, or loss of or damage to property — are, as a rule, handled through the student's own insurance.
• The Academy assumes responsibility only where an incident is objectively proven to have resulted from the Academy's intentional act or gross negligence, or a serious defect in Academy facilities. This clause applies to the extent permitted by law and does not limit any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
Article 10 — Health and Contagious Diseases
• Guardians or students must immediately notify the Academy if the student is infected with or suspected of having a contagious disease (including but not limited to Influenza, Chickenpox, Hand Foot and Mouth Disease, COVID-19, and contagious conjunctivitis).
• Students may be restricted from attending until they have fully recovered and are cleared to return, for the safety of other students.
• Where attendance is restricted for the above reason and the student provides a valid doctor's note, missed sessions may be supplemented with 1:1 online classes at the Academy's discretion (group and other sessions excluded). No refund will be issued for missed sessions.
• Intentional concealment of a contagious illness, or attending against the Academy's advice to stay away, that results in an outbreak may give rise to legal and financial liability for the student's side (including quarantine costs, other students' medical fees, and damages).
Article 11 — Refund Policy
11.1 Academic Program
Refunds are calculated based on the timing of the written cancellation request (counted back from the start date, the request day inclusive):
• 30 or more days before start: 100% of tuition refunded (excl. registration fee)
• 15 to 29 days before start: 70% of tuition refunded (excl. registration fee)
• 8 to 14 days before start: 50% of tuition refunded (excl. registration fee)
• Within 7 days of start, or after commencement: Non-refundable
* The Registration Fee (RM 500) is non-refundable under all circumstances. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via the Academy's official request form.
11.2 Accommodation
Accommodation is not a required part of the application, and students are free to arrange external accommodation. For the student's convenience, the Academy acts only to relay the booking and payment; operation and management rest entirely with a specialist provider. All accommodation terms — including deposit, refund, and check-out — are governed by the accommodation provider's own rules. The Academy is therefore not liable, to the extent permitted by law, for any issue or loss relating to the quality, management, or operation of the accommodation.
Article 12 — Program Cancellation and Force Majeure
• The Academy reserves the right to cancel or suspend a program in the event of circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, government-mandated restrictions, public health emergencies, or force majeure events.
• In such circumstances, the Academy will endeavour to provide alternative arrangements where reasonably practicable; where no alternative can be provided, a pro-rated refund of unused tuition will be issued.
• The Academy is not liable for any consequential losses resulting from a cancellation under this Article, including travel, accommodation, or visa costs not arranged directly by the Academy.
Article 13 — Visa and Immigration
• The student is solely responsible for obtaining and maintaining the appropriate visa or entry permission required to participate in the program in Malaysia.
• The Academy may provide supporting documentation for visa application purposes upon request, but makes no guarantee as to the outcome of any visa application.
• Where a student cannot commence the program due to a visa denial or immigration restriction, and supporting documentation was provided by the Academy in good faith, the Academy will refund 100% of tuition excluding the Registration Fee. This does not apply where the student failed to apply in a timely or accurate manner.
Article 14 — Governing Law, Jurisdiction, Dispute Resolution, and Governing Language
• These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Malaysia.
• Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and the parties agree to attempt mediation in good faith before commencing formal legal proceedings.
• These Terms are provided in multiple languages; in the event of any discrepancy in interpretation between language versions, the English version prevails.
Acknowledgement of Terms
By enrolling in any program offered by MEC Academy, the student and/or Guardian confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions in full.