Haul up Malay NGO for seditious PTPTN remark, says UM student leader

The coalition of Malay rights groups should be charged under the Sedition Act for suggesting only Bumiputeras be exempted from repaying their National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans, says a Universiti Malaya student leader today.

The Universiti Malaya Students Association (PMUM) president Fahmi Zainol said that Putrajaya should wield the Act against the coalition for making the ethno-centric statement that could incite racial tension among the multi-ethnic community in the country.

"How about prosecuting them under the Sedition Act because they are creating tension among the races. How was it that others can be hauled up but they are not?

"Maybe the NGOs are cronies to the ruling coalition... But I feel they should be brought to justice for coming up with such a statement," he told The Malaysian Insider.

It was reported yesterday that the coalition of Malay rights groups, led by Perkasa, urged Putrajaya to consider allowing only excelling Bumiputeras to be exempted from repaying their PTPTN loan.

In their National Unity Memorandum, drafted by a committee headed by Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, the group also wanted Putrajaya to take immediate action over the phenomenon of many non-Bumiputeras being exempted 100% from PTPTN.

PTPTN allows for all its debtors who graduated with first-class honours to be exempt from repaying their loans, regardless of race.

Fahmi said the statement from the Malay NGOs should not have been made in the first place as it was blatantly unfair towards non-Bumiputera students.

He said that if the coalition was serious about abolishing PTPTN, the process should involve all races.

"Who are they to talk about us students? If it was the students who came up with such statement, I can understand. (But) Maybe they are just 'syok sendiri'.

"We are all Malaysians and should treat each other as brothers and sisters. We should give everyone equal treatment. Just because they think the Chinese are not paying, they want the Malays to be exempted? This is not right," he said.

Meanwhile, Selangor state executive councillor for Education, Human Capital Development, Science, Technology and Innovation Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad questioned the coalition's logic for making such a suggestion.

“It appears these NGOs have an outdated and irrelevant mindset. We should not look at everything in the racial context. Something is not right with what they are saying," he said.

Nik Nazmi said the state has always been clear about education issues and it was to ensure every Malaysian receives free education and abolishing the PTPTN.

"Ours include all the citizens of Malaysia, not just the Bumiputeras," he said.

PAS Education bureau deputy chairman Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said he disagreed with the Malay rights' group plan to exempt Malays, even the excelling ones, from repaying their study loans.

"A loan is a loan and you have to pay them back no matter what race you are. It is also unfair if you only exempt one race from paying but leave out the rest. It is not good for the country."

Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said allowing such exemption to go through would only make Malay students become lazy.

“If they don't have to pay back, they will become lazy. It will also weaken the community for being too dependent on the government.

Azimah said like their peers, Malay students should work hard if they want to be exempted from paying back their study loan.

“They should work hard to get good grades. There is no harm in working hard to achieve something. There is no use in pointing fingers at others," she added.

The memorandum was debated among over 300 Malay NGOs at the National Unity Convention in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, before it was approved later in the evening.

The groups said they intend to send the National Unity Memorandum to the government, the Yang DiPertuan Agong and the Council of Rulers. – November 24, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/haul-up-malay-ngo-for-seditious-ptptn-remark-says-um-student-leader#sthash.QvSyeJQy.dpuf