PETALING JAYA, August 22: Despite BN bowing to the sharp protests of the people regarding the CCRIS issue, the actions of the related ministers however shows the BN is very detached from the reality of the young people’s difficulties who burdened by the PTPTN.
Today, PKR held a press conference to clarify the problems of new graduates who are ridden with debt the moment they begin to start a new life.
The following is the full press statement.
PTPTN DEFAULTERS REVIEW AND TWEETUP #PTPTN 29 AUGUST 2013
KEADILAN is very concerned about the PTPTN proposal brought up by the Minister of Education II, Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh, this week to list PTPTN borrowers in the CCRIS (Central Credit Reference Information System) Although Barisan Nasional eventually had to succumb to the sharp outcry by the people, the suggestion brought up by the minister shows that Barisan Nasional is very detached from the reality of the hardships of the young people who are burdened by the PTPTN.
Until now, we have not been informed whether any specific studies have been conducted by PTPTN or Barisan Nasional to understand the real reasons as to why the majority of PTPTN borrowers are facing difficulties in repaying their PTPTN loan.
The Federal Government has also not announced the following details which are very important to understand this problem comprehensively for the following steps to be in line with the cause of the problem, namely:
1. The profile of the monthly net income of PTPTN borrowers – how many of them earn over RM2,500 a month, how many are paid less than RM1,000 a month and so on.
2. The profile on the success of attaining a job or obtaining a job that is equivalent to their qualification or field – how many are still unemployed, how long it will take before attaining a fitting job, how many degree holders receive jobs with lower employment qualifications such as diplomas and so on.
3. The profile of the quality of Private Institutes of Higher Learning that impacts the ability of a degree holder to attain jobs – how many borrowers end up with a degree that is not recognised, how many colleges do not provide university-level facilities, the percentage of graduates from private colleges and Private Institutes of Higher Learning that attain jobs after graduation.
These are among the examples of information that is necessary to form a fair understanding of the young people’s debt problems.
Barisan Nasional never intended to explore the young people’s debt problems and took a rough approach by equating all PTPTN borrowers who have difficulties as being ungrateful and irresponsible.
KEADILAN urges Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh to not be so clever as to announce new measures to pressure PTPTN borrowers before the aforementioned information is fully researched and presented in Parliament.
Meanwhile, KEADILAN will pave the way towards understanding the debt problems of PTPTN borrowers by launching a research on PTPTN borrowers to gather the information listed above. All PTPTN borrowers can participate in this study by filling out survey forms that can be accessed from the internet starting from tomorrow, 23 August 2013. This study will be disseminated through social sites, Twitter and blogs.
The results from this initial study will be presented in a tweetup#PTPTN meeting which will be held on Thursday, 29 August 2013, 8.30pm at the MBPJ Library in Petaling Jaya. All borrowers/anti-PTPTN activists and community leaders are invited to participate in the tweetup which is also aimed at organising anti-PTPTN movements into a formal organisation which is more structured.
It is time PTPTN borrowers form a lobby organisation that is influential so that any party can discuss with them prior to making recommendations, to prevent the repeat of the proposed CCRIS listing.
NURUL IZZAH ANWAR
Vice President
Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai
RAFIZI RAMLI
Director of Strategy
Members of parliament for Pandan
NIK NAZMI AHMAD
Director of Communications
Deputy Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly