A GROUP of students today marched from University Malaya to Parliament to protest against the Pakatan Harapan government’s failure to keep its election manifesto promise on education loans.
Some 15 undergraduates from different universities are upset with the government’s move to push National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) borrowers to start servicing their loan if they earn more than RM1,000 a month.
Led by Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia president Muhammad Faizzuddin Mohd Zai, 25, the students walked 8km with the intention to submit a memorandum to Education Minister Maszlee Malik.
“We want to discuss the recently introduced PTPTN policy and want them (Education Ministry) to reform it,” Faizzuddin told The Malaysian Insight.
The PH election manifesto said students who took PTPTN loans could defer their repayment if they earned less than RM4,000 a month, but in the recently tabled budget, the government announced it was introducing a scheduled repayment scheme for those earning more than RM1,000 per month.
“With RM1,000 salaries, students are already burdened with other commitments and if they are required to pay the PTPTN loan, we will become the poorest segment of society in Malaysia,” the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) student said.
Faizzudin said that they were ready to start servicing their loans when graduate salaries hit RM4,000 a month.
“If they want us to pay when we earn RM4,000, then it’s okay because we understand the Malaysian economic situation.
“We just want them to fulfil the promises made during the 14th general election instead of taking youths for granted,” he said.
Although the students, all clad in their graduation gowns, were barred from entering the Parliament compound, special officer to Maszlee, Abdul Hannaan Khairy met the students and received the memorandum.
Faizzuddin said they were disappointed with Maszlee for not receiving their memorandum personally.
“We walked this far to meet Maszlee but we are disappointed because we only could meet his representative.
“We wanted to show Maszlee a draft calculation of a graduate’s expenses, to make him understand our situation but he didn’t make himself present. Ever since he became the education minister, he has become very arrogant,” Faizzuddin told reporters.
Last week, PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan apologised to the people as the PH government will not be able to fulfil its promise of withholding repayments to the fund for loanees with incomes less than RM4,000.
“I apologise to the citizens as most of them expect the manifesto promise to hold payments to be fulfilled. We are not able to carry out the promise,” he had said.
Wan Saiful said that the government was unaware of the debt of RM40 billion yet to be paid by loaners at the time that he wrote the promise in the PH manifesto. – November 14, 2018.
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Comments
Posted 7 years ago by Kevin Teh · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply
Ask not what the country can help you (the govt already helped you with study loan) but what YOU can help the downtrodden country caused by the Pekan Pirate
Posted 7 years ago by Arshad Lazim · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by TTs Take · Reply
In any event if the stupid students cant understand the financial situation of the nation and continue to harp on the so-called manifesto promises, please dont feel bad. Just feel sorry that universities today are producing students who lack intellect.
The minister of education should do something about this like raising the entry requirements to universities rather than allowing substandard and low grade students entry..
Posted 7 years ago by TTs Take · Reply
In any event if the stupid students cant understand the financial situation of the nation and continue to harp on the so-called manifesto promises, please dont feel bad. Just feel sorry that universities today are producing students who lack intellect.
The minister of education should do something about this like raising the entry requirements to universities rather than allowing substandard and low grade students entry..
Posted 7 years ago by TTs Take · Reply