Unhappy students to join anti-Icerd rally

Ready to make a point: Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia (Gamis) said university students would be taking part to show their opposition to PTPTN’s controversial repayment scheme which had been put on hold.

PETALING JAYA: Unhappiness over a student loan monthly deduction scheme is set to draw thousands of them into joining today’s rally against the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia (Gamis) said university students would be taking part to show their opposition – not just to Icerd but the National Higher Education Fund Corpora­tion’s (PTPTN) controversial repayment scheme which had been put on hold.

“The latest information is that 5,000 university students nationwide will join the gathering.

“We are not happy with the recent developments in PTPTN,” said Gamis president Muhammad Faizuddin Mohd Zai.

Under the scheme, borrowers earning above RM2,000 would have their monthly loan instalments deducted from their salaries by between 2% and 15% depending on the bracket.

On Nov 11, PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan had also issued an apology for backing out from a promise made by Pakatan Harapan to allow borrowers to only begin servicing their loans once their salaries hit RM4,000. Wan Saiful then gave an assurance that the new repayment scheme would not burden borrowers.

On Nov 23, Gamis had organised a protest outside the PTPTN office, which, among others, demanded Wan Saiful’s resignation for failing to deliver on Pakatan’s PTPTN pledge.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said he expected the turnout today to be boosted by the presence of more youths and university students.

“Many feel cheated by Pakatan’s promises, especially on PTPTN repayments,” he said.