'It's PAS, not Harapan, that promised to abolish PTPTN'

Terengganu Pakatan Harapan has slammed PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang over his criticism of Harapan on the abolishment of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN).

"I'm amused by the PAS president's statement that Harapan failed to keep to its promise to abolish PTPTN.

"The fact is, he (Hadi) is confused. Harapan never promised to abolish PTPTN. We just pledged to defer repayments from borrowers earning less than RM4,000 a month, and to take off the immigration blacklist imposed on defaulters," state Harapan chief Mohd Hasbie Muda (photo, above) told Malaysiakini today.

Mohd Hasbie was responding to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's statement at a forum last night that the government should tax the rich in order to provide free education.

"In Islam, education is free, it is a pillar of life. It can be (made) free, as some countries do it.

"The way to do it (free education) is by taxing the wealthy, the corporate figures and by combatting corruption. If all these are implemented, then free education can be made possible," Hadi said, citing Harapan's alleged failure to abolish the PTPTN after its victory in the 14th general election.

To this, Mohd Hasbie pointed out that it was not Harapan, but PAS that had promised to abolish PTPTN in its GE14 manifesto.

"The PAS leadership and its supporters often slam the Harapan government as allegedly cheating graduates in regard to the PTPTN.

"The reality is, such a pledge (to abolish PTPTN) does not exist in Harapan's manifesto, but it is in PAS' joint manifesto with Gagasan Sejahtera."

If PAS is really sincere about lightening the burden of graduates, it should start implementing the manifesto pledge in Terengganu and Kelantan, which it leads, Mohd Hasbie said.

"This should not be difficult, since the federal government has, and will hand in oil royalty payments to the state governments." - Mkini