Monday April 16 Minister’s bodyguard receives students’ memo Tong Yee Siong 5:07pm, Mon: Some 300 university students seeking to hand over a memorandum to the Education Minister Musa Mohamad ended up passing it to his bodyguard instead, as the minister was busy attending a meeting with representatives from a United Nations agency. The memorandum, which called for the four percent interest rate of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation loan fund be abolished, was received by Musa’s ‘personal guard’ at the Education Ministry gates in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. Universiti Malaya’s Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam (PMIUM) chairperson Mohd Faisal Abdul Rahman said the students were insulted and disappointed by the minister’s action. “Musa Mohamad only sent his ‘chauffeur’ to receive our memorandum,” said Mohd Faisal. The students led by Mohd Faisal had gathered outside the ministry at about 10.30am hoping to hand over the memorandum to the minister. However, they were told that the minister was busy meeting with representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and that his personal guard would receive it on his behalf. Mohd Faisal, who is also Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia (Gamis) secretary-general, said the ministry was informed about the handing over of the memorandum a week earlier and had agreed to receive it on the proposed date and time. In his speech earlier, Mohd Faisal said this is the fourth memorandum submitted on the interest rate issue over the past three months to the ministry but the students are yet to see any response. He added that this memorandum marked ‘the peak of their collective demands’ and the ministry must look into the matter seriously and not ignore them. Ministry warned Mohd Faisal cited the case of a private university student as evidence that the study loan interest is affecting the well-being of local students. “A private university student whom we know, had to pay approximately RM90,000 in total for the RM65,000 he received as his study loan. This is indeed a burden on the students,” he said. He warned that the students may resort to “drastic moves” if the ministry continues to procrastinate in responding to the their needs. “If the ministry continues to behave the way it does now, we, the students will take whatever actions necessary to pressure the minister to handle our problems,” said Mohd Faisal. However, he did not elaborate what actions the students will take should their demands are spurned. After receiving the memorandum, the minister’s personal guard, Supiyan Mohd Rasol said the minister will “study it” but did not specify the time frame as to when the study would be completed. Following this, the students recited a prayer and chanted the takbir ‘Allahhu Akhbar’ but were scoffed by a policeman who asked them if they thought the gathering was a political seminar. The policeman ordered the students to leave or he would take action. The crowd dispersed at about 11.30am. Other student leaders present at the gathering were Fuad Ikhwan of Universiti Malaya, Mahadi Suekarno of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Izwandi Idris of Universiti Sains Malaysia and Jasmine Ng of Gerakan Demokratik Belia dan Pelajar Malaysia (Dema). Five points The memorandum handed today was a compilation of the three previous ones, enclosed with signatures and protest letters by more than 1,000 students. It consists of five main points calling for: 1) The repeal of the four percent interest of the study loan. 2) Make the study loan scheme more flexible by taking into consideration the students’ academic performance. 3) Allow students to start paying their loans a year after completing their studies instead of the present six months. 4) Ensuring the study loan scheme to be compatible with the Islamic muamalah system 5) A more efficient management for the fund. Some 203,000 universities nationwide have received the study loan since 1987. The government allocated RM675.3 billion for the fund in 1999 and increased it to RM1.3 billion for 2000 and 2001 respectively.

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Monday April 16 PTPTN: Siswa ‘buat apa saja’ untuk hapuskan bunga ‘Ein Azmi 2:05pm, Mon: Pelajar ‘akan berbuat apa sahaja’ untuk menghapuskan kadar empat peratus pinjaman Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) selepas Kementerian Pendidikan hari ini didakwa tidak serius. “Jika kementerian masih berlengah dan enggan memanggil mahasiswa (untuk berbincang), maka mahasiswa akan berbuat apa sahaja tindakan yang difikirkan perlu,” kata Setiausaha Agung Gabungan Mahasiswa Siswa Semenanjung (Gamis) Muhammad Faisal Abdul Rahman kepada malaysiakini. “Kami telah mengumpulkan tiga memorandum untuk mendesak kementerian mengambil tindakan lebih serius tetapi kedatangan (kami) tidak dilayan dengan baik.” Muhammad Faisal berkata demikian selepas mengetuai kira-kira 300 pelajar menyerahkan satu memorandum di kementerian itu pagi tadi. Selain menggesa penghapusan kadar bayaran balik, memorandum lima perkara itu juga menggesa pinjaman itu ditukar pinjaman boleh ubah, tempoh mula pembayaran dipanjangkan daripada enam kepada 12 bulan dan ia diurus mengikut kaedah pinjaman Islam. Muhammad Faisal mendakwa memorandum itu hanya diterima oleh pemandu menteri berkenaan Tan Sri Musa Mohamad. Bagaimanapun malaysiakini difahamkan seorang kakitangan yang mengambil memorandum itu di perkarangan bangunan kementerian berkenaan, Supiyan Mohd Rasol, adalah seorang pengawal peribadi Musa. “Mahasiswa hari ini rasa terhina dan kecewa dengan tindakan Kementerian Pendidikan, khususnya menterinya,” kata Muhammad Faisal. Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar Universiti Malaya (MPPUM) mendakwa temu janji hari ini telah ditetapkan sejak seminggu lalu dan kedatangan rombongan pemimpin pelajar itu “dialu-alukan” oleh kementerian. “Kita berusaha untuk menemui sendiri menteri (Musa) tetapi kementerian meminta kami menunggu wakilnya datang menemui kami di bawah,” kata Presiden MPPUM, Mohd Fuad Ikhwan. Malaysiakini difahamkan Musa bermesyuarat dengan wakil Pertubuhan Pendidikan, Sains dan Kebudayaan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (Unesco) sejak pagi. Memo anti-Mahathir Sebelum itu beberapa anggota polis memberikan amaran agar kumpulan pelajar itu bersurai sebaik sahaja menyerahkan memorandum tersebut. Kumpulan itu bersurai secara aman setelah menunggu hampir sejam di bangunan itu sejak jam 10.30 pagi. Lima pemimpin pelajar turut memberikan ucapan alu-aluan selama kira-kira 20 minit membantah kadar empat peratus PTPTN dan menuntut kerajaan memberikan biasiswa. Sepanduk yang dipamerkan ketika perhimpunan bertulis “pendidikan tanggungjawab kerajaan” dan “kembalikan pinjamanan boleh ubah.” Selain Faisal, pemimpin yang berucap itu termasuklah pemimpin pelajar dari Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia dan persatuan pelajar Cina, Gerakan Demokratik Belia dan Pelajar Malaysia (Dema). Kerajaan memperuntukkan RM675.3 juta untuk dana pinjaman PTPTN pada tahun 1999, RM1.3 bilion pada tahun lepas dan jumlah yang sama untuk tahun ini. Seramai 203,000 pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi menerima bantuan dana tersebut sejak diperkenalkan pada 1987. Sementara itu satu kumpulan pelajar bercadang menyerahkan satu memorandum bagi membantah Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mahathir Mohamad merasmikan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) esok. Dr Mahathir memulakan majlis itu di kampus baru universiti itu Gombak jam 9 pagi. “Kumpulan mahasiswa membantah PM merasmikan UIA kerana beliau mempunyai rekod hitam (melakukan) kezaliman, akhlak yang buruk dan tidak sesuai untuk orang seperti beliau merasmikan mana-mana universiti sekalipun,” kata jurucakap kumpulan pelajar itu, Ahmad Zaki Yamani Zainon kepada malaysiakini. Bekas Setiausaha Agung Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM) yang dipecat daripada Universiti Teknologi Mara itu menambah, setakat ini tujuh perkumpulan pelajar bersetuju menyertai majlis penyerahan memorandum tersebut. Kumpulan itu antaranya Gerakan Demokratik Belia dan Pelajar Malaysia (Dema), Kelab Rakan Siswa Islah Malaysia (Karisma), Gerakan Mahasiswa Lantang Negara (GMLN) dan Majlis Tindakan Mahasiswa (MTM).