Selangor MB to press ahead with free education plan

The Selangor government will proceed with plans to use the RM30 million fund obtained through the sale of Universiti Selangor (Unisel) land to provide for free education.

In announcing this, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim backed the suggestion by Sri Muda state assemblyperson Shuhaimi Shafiei who had proposed that the money to be used as a pilot project to provide free education in Selangor.

“I will be making a few announcements about the development in Unisel as we will be having a meeting with the board of directors of Unisel soon,” he told journalists after a forum in Shah Alam this evening.

The fund was initially raised as an emergency measure after the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) announced a freeze on loans to Selangor-owned varsities to “test” Pakatan Rakyat’s commitment to free education.

However, the freeze was lifted last Friday after a letter was issued by the Higher Education Ministry.

‘Selangor free education can be permanent’
 
Meanwhile, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said a long-term solution to realising free education in Selangor can be carried out through a pilot project allocated in the state’s budget.

“RM30 million is only a temporary fund for now. If people ask us what happens after, if there is a free education pilot project in the next Selangor state budget, the state government can move on to allocate as much as is needed every year.

“And this can then be put into the next budget,” Rafizi (left) said in an interview with fledgling online radio channel Radio Bangsar Utama last night.

Selangor has “passed” the test set by the federal government, he said, referring to the PTPTN loan freeze to Universiti Selangor last week.

Also, the original proposal to set up a fund to help the previously affected students will be continued, said Rafizi, who is also chief executive of the Selangor Economic Advisory Office.

“I think they (BN) have miscalculated. They did not expect that we would be willing to allocate the money so quickly. BN assumes we do not have any answers.

‘Khalid knows how to find assets’

“They forgot that Tan Sri Khalid (Ibrahim) is a corporate figure. He knows how to find assets.

“I also asked Khalid a day after the PTPTN announcement, (will) the money be available and still be used? He said ‘Yes, the money will be available’,” Rafizi explained.

Asked if RM30 million would be sufficient, Rafizi said the amount would be enough for two higher education institutions.

RM30 million would be divided into two, with RM15 million going to Unisel and the rest to Selangor International Islamic University College (Kuis) until the end of the year, based on calculations for the next semester, he added.