PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry has no intention of raising the fees at its institutions (IPTA) despite the rising cost of living.
Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said they will continue to maintain the fees at public institutions of higher learning.
He was commenting on an Utusan Malaysia report on the rising cost of living faced by students, which sees their monthly expenditure increasing between RM200 to RM300 per month.
However, Mohamed Khaled added that everyone was affected by the rising cost of food.
ALSO READ: Subsidised fees at public varsities will not be abolished, says Khaled
He also said that any discounts for National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) borrowers remain at the discretion of the Finance Ministry.
“So far, we are no longer continuing that (the PTPTN discount announced in Budget 2023) and anything related to it is subject to the decision of the Finance Ministry,” he told reporters after launching the National Academia Day and Academia Month 2023 on Wednesday (Oct 4).
On Feb 24, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that PTPTN borrowers will be given a 20% discount for three months starting March 1.
Separately, Mohamed Khaled said he hopes the government will support the ministry’s request so that they can implement digitisation into their ecosystem which will be used in teaching, learning and administration.
