MCA has announced that they would be giving interest-free student loans amounting up to RM30 million for students from needy families.

Party president Dr Chua Soi Lek said that while the loan are for students who have completed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, Sijil Tinggi Penilaian Malaysia, pre-university courses and the United Examination Certificate, the loans are essentially for all races.

“We have always said that while MCA is a Chinese-based party, since MCA was set up, all of our loan and services and for all races,” he said.

NONEConfident of being able to raise the RM30 million, Chua (left) said that MCA has a way with fundraising.

“MCA has a way of raising money easily. We raised RM10 million (for the MCA medical fund) easily.

“It is not true that the Chinese have abandoned MCA. In 1969, we raised money to start Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman. In 1998, we raised even more money to start Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, using RM150 million of our own money, which we handled very transparently,” he said.

Under the one-off scheme for the entire course duration, the maximum amount for students intending to pursue their courses locally stands at RM30,000, RM50,000 for students pursuing their courses overseas and RM80,000 to RM100,000 for post-graduate studies.

While the party has yet to finalise the guideline, MCA vice-president and Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha has been appointed to head the loan committee and to come up with the details and formula within two weeks.

Chua is also unfazed over the repayment rate of the borrowers, considering the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is facing a massive problem where 228,000 defaulters have yet to pay up a total of RM2.5 billion.

“In our previous loans, our default rate is less than 1 percent... We have an effective way of collecting the loan, and the borrowers know that the money is coming from a political party, so I guess they are insaf (aware),” he said with a smile

Party to organise two congresses

At a press conference in the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this evening, Chua also announced that the party will be organising two congresses - one of the role of Chinese in a high-income nation, and Chinese at a political crossroads in Malaysia.

The first congress will be held in September.

Meanwhile, he also explained his move to place himself as well as the four MCA vice-presidents to be the ‘caretaker’ of several parts in Kedah.

When asked if Kedah was to be the front line for MCA’s onslaught in the upcoming general election, he denied it and said: “All our seats are front line and important”.

“We don’t behave like DAP, thinking that all Chinese will support us. MCA is used to working hard to get support. We work hard to earn the votes.

“DAP thinks that all Chinese support them, that’s why they use Chinese against the Chinese. They are champions in this, playing this for last 50 years. They have perfected this art,” he said.

At the moment, MCA is represented in Kedah with one MP and one assemblyperson.

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