Cuepacs may withdraw authorisation on PTPTN deductions

The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) may withdraw the authorisation for the National Higher Education Loan Fund (PTPTN) to make cuts in the salaries of civil servants, if the agency continues to implement maximum cuts.

Cuepacs president Azih Muda expressed regret today that there were civil servants whose salaries were cut by the fund, for PTPTN loan repayment deductions, up to a maximum rate, adding that the action was not justified and a burden to their financial position.

"There are civil servants whose pay slip is left with only RM19! What will they eat then?

"Cuepacs would also like to remind that we will not hesitate to withdraw the decision to allow civil servants to have their salaries cut to pay PTPTN," Azih told reporters after chairing Cuepas' 2015 meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

He advised PTPTN to be more mindful of the civil servants in performing deductions from their salaries, so as not to leave them financially burdened.

The PTPTN issue, according to Azih, was among four issues that were currently affecting the lives of civil servants.

Rising cost of living needs attention

The three other issues which required the government's attention were the rising cost of living, the price-setting mechanism for houses and the implementation of 252 service schemes.

On the rising cost of living, Azih asked the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry to seriously intervene in the issue of rising prices of goods that have been exempted from the goods and services tax (GST).

He also requested the government to immediately establish a pricing mechanism for housing, and suggested that the establishment of such a mechanism should include the setting up of a certain percentage of profits that could be acquired by property developers.

- Bernama