WRONG MAHATHIR! CHINESE SEND THEIR KIDS OVERSEAS TO STUDY BECAUSE THEY HAVE LITTLE CHOICE, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE RICHER THAN MALAYS – NO ONE GRUDGES MALAYS THEIR ‘WELL-BEING’ BUT DO IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS & ALSO NOT AT EXPENSE OF OTHER RACES

Policies to strengthen the economic well-being of the Malays, as well as to bridge the gap between the community and other ethnic groups will continue, says Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In an interview with Channel News Asia, he said there are certain areas where the Malays need help, citing overseas education as an example.

“When I was in the United Kingdom, I met a number of Chinese students. They were there because their parents were able to pay for their studies.

“But I find that Malay parents, by and large, cannot afford to have university education for their children,” he said.

Mahathir added that the Chinese in this country “are largely in business,” while the Malays are mostly civil servants and wage earners who find it costly to send their children to study abroad.

To bridge this gap, he said, more scholarships need to be given to the Malays.

The prime minister reiterated that continuing policies to help Malays does not mean that “it (the government) thinks only of the Malays”, saying that the potential for conflict is much greater when there is income disparity along ethnic lines.

“You have the rich, very rich, and the poor, very poor… you are inviting conflicts.

“But when the rich belong to one race, and the poor, another race, the potential for conflict is much greater.”

Mahathir added that the economic well-being of the Malays can be improved with affirmative action. – MKINI

Bersatu’s Wan Saiful made chair of PTPTN

Special advisor to the education minister Wan Saiful Wan Jan has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).

“PTPTN gladly announces that Wan Saiful Wan Jan has been appointed as the new chairperson for two years effective June 18.

“He replaces Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah,” the corporation said in a statement today.

In his first day on the job, Wan Saiful announced that 429,945 PTPTN defaulters had been struck off the immigration blacklist.

He also said that PTPTN will continue to study ways to allow applicants to only begin loan repayments when they earn salaries of over RM4,000 a month, as pledged by Pakatan Harapan in its election manifesto.

Prior to joining Bersatu in the lead up to the 14th general election, Wan Saiful had been a prominent academic and the former CEO of thinktank Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas).

He later contested the Pendang state seat in Kedah, but lost in the four-cornered contest to PAS’ Awang Hashim.

Wan Saiful had since joined the Education Ministry, which is helmed by Bersatu Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik.

He continues to serve as Bersatu’s strategy and policy bureau deputy chief. – MKINI

– M’kini