PTPTN like 'ah long', says youth group

The National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan is like a loanshark that will enslave students after they graduate, a youth group said today.

“Today, the PTPTN has led the nation’s education in the wrong direction.

“Quality higher education has been misdirected to become a money making institution,” said Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) Youth chief Ng Chong Soon.

“(As a result), many of our graduates will become slaves to the PTPTN loan after they graduate,” said Ng in a statement.

He urged the government to heed the views of the rakyat and called for the scheme to be scrapped.

“Higher education in this country should be free, through federal government funding (or) combined with fees that are reasonable and cheap, so that more youth from the poorer segments of society can obtain higher education,” he said.

Students have been protesting against the problematic PTPTN scheme, culminating in a 500-strong rally in the heart of Kuala Lumpur last Saturday ending at Dataran Merdeka.

A group of about 30 protestors are still camped out at the Dataran in a sit-in that they vow will remain until the authorities respond to their demands.

'No freedoms with UUCA review'

Ng also commented that the amendments to the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA)1971  that have been tabled in Parliament still violates the human rights of students and suppresses their voice.

He criticised the amendments for shifting “absolute power” over students from the ministry to the university directors.

“These directors are not elected by the students and lecturers, and therefore do not rightfully represent their rights and welfare,” he said.

He said vice-chancellors and administrators should be elected by the students and lecturers instead.

Ng concluded that both PTPTN and UUCA should be abolished.

'Gov't should absorb interest'

Meanwhile Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dominic Lau said he disagreed with the call to abolish the scheme saying the loan parroting his BN colleagues that the protests were instigated by the opposition and that “protest is not our culture (sic).”

He said there was already remedy at present as the 3 percent interest can be converted to a 1 percent ujrah (Islamic banking interest) that is eligible to all existing borrowers

Lau also suggested for the government to absorb the 1 percent.

“Besides that, Gerakan Youth also feels that the way PTPTN blacklisting defaulted borrowers may be too harsh to be accepted by the youths who are university graduates and led to strong displeasure among them.

“In this regard, Gerakan Youth would suggest the authority to consider another method to encourage the defaulted borrowers to be committed on their loan repayment instead of imposing harsh sanction by blacklisting them from travelling abroad,” said Lau in a statement today.