SHAH ALAM, August 21: The Umno-BN government has failed to carry out their social justice responsibility in providing free education, especially to the needy.
PKR De Facto Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he was against the proposal for the National Higher Educational Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to list PTPTN defaulters who did not repay their loan under the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS).
“This is further victimization of the borrowers by stigmatizing them financially after having already burdened them with the study loans,” Anwar said in a statement.
He said, the main issue which should be addressed is not government efforts to retrieve the loan, but it is their responsibility to implement social justice in the field of education.
According to the Member of Parliament for Pandan, Rafizi Ramli, the move to list PTPTN borrowers in the CCRIS is akin to being indifferent towards welfare, especially for the young people.
He said that this move will be used by financial institutions to deny housing, vehicle and personal loans to PTPTN borrowers registered by PTPTN in the CCRIS.
“It would seem that PTPTN borrowers have a ‘ladder fall of them after falling’ (jatuh ditimpa tangga, English equivalent – being kicked in the teeth after they are down), as they are already burdened by the high cost of living and low wages, and now, they are threatened by PTPTN to be denied the right to own a home and a car,” said Rafizi in his press statement.
He warned Idris Jusoh to not follow through with the intent to intimidate and punish the young people who took the PTPTN loan by listing them in the CCRIS.
“PKR will mobilise campaigns throughout the country to protest against this intent until it is cancelled by Barisan Nasional,” he said.