Pakatan PTPTN stand unclear due to lack of data
Aidila RazakPublished: Oct 6, 2011 1:37 AM | Updated: Oct 6, 2011 6:07 AM
Pakatan Rakyat yesterday could not give a clear indication if it will do away with the contentious National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), blaming this on a lack of data.
Pakatan Rakyat yesterday could not give a clear indication if it will do away with the contentious National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), blaming this on a lack of data.
To a question from the floor at a forum on the Pakatan shadow budget in Shah Alam, PKR chief of strategy Rafizi Ramli said it cannot commit to anything until the data is available.
"As a responsible government, we plan to make a full review, especially in the light of the dire situation PTPTN is now in.
"We are taking a more careful approach before committing to getting rid of PTPTN, or giving free higher education...we need more data," he told an audience of about 150 people.
As such, Rafizi said, the only guarantee Pakatan can give if it comes into power is that all borrowers of student loans will be made to pay only when they secure full time employment.
Additionally, he said, Pakatan can also commit to only allowing PTPTN loans for "worthwhile courses" and not "courses at crony-owned colleges that issue worthless certificates".
No more private consultants
On a separate matter, Rafizi said that one way Pakatan envisages revitalising the civil service is to terminate the use of consultancy companies like Apco and FBC Media.
"Imagine you are a government servant working for a few thousand ringgit and in comes this young kid who earns RM40,000 a month who is calling the shots. It is demoralising to the civil service," he said.
Hiring consultancy services is also highlighted by Pakatan as a waste of resources, which it intends to cut down by slashing the Prime Minister's Department's allocation by a mind numbing RM10 billion.
PKR-Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who acted as moderator, said the formulation of the shadow budget is testament of how much Pakatan can save compared to the BN.
"Our work on minimum wage was based on data from the World Bank and volunteer work, while the government is paying RM100 million to pay for the salaries of Pemandu staff," she said, referring to the Performance and Management Delivery Unit headed by Cabinet Minister Idris Jala.
Panelist and DAP-Bukit Bendera Liew Chin Tong (left) added that another example of wastage is the duplication of the Village Safety and Development Committee (JKKK) in Pakatan-held states by the federal government.
"The budget for this comes under the Prime Minister's Development's allocation of RM15.86 billion.
"Parliament gets RM78 million, but the (Federal mirror to the JKKK) the Federal Village Safety and Development Committee (JKKKP) get RM156 million," he said.
Anwar's budget speech, 40,000 being printed
He added that with the savings Pakatan intends to put money in the pockets of the people, to boost domestic demand in view of slowing global demand.
"This cannot be done if people are up to their necks in daily expenses," he said.
Asked by a member of the audience how Pakatan intends to spread the word about its alternative budget, Nurul Izzah said that the coalition is printing 40,000 copies of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's speech for distribution to all parliament constituencies.
"We understand that it means nothing if there is not traction at the grassroots level...
"I don't mind if the full shadow budget is lifted by the Prime Minister...as policies should in fact emerge from the contestation of ideas," she said.
PM Najib Abdul Razak is due to deliver his Budget 2012 speech in Parliament tomorrow.
To a question from the floor at a forum on the Pakatan shadow budget in Shah Alam, PKR chief of strategy Rafizi Ramli said it cannot commit to anything until the data is available.
"As a responsible government, we plan to make a full review, especially in the light of the dire situation PTPTN is now in.
"We are taking a more careful approach before committing to getting rid of PTPTN, or giving free higher education...we need more data," he told an audience of about 150 people.
As such, Rafizi said, the only guarantee Pakatan can give if it comes into power is that all borrowers of student loans will be made to pay only when they secure full time employment. Additionally, he said, Pakatan can also commit to only allowing PTPTN loans for "worthwhile courses" and not "courses at crony-owned colleges that issue worthless certificates".
No more private consultants
On a separate matter, Rafizi said that one way Pakatan envisages revitalising the civil service is to terminate the use of consultancy companies like Apco and FBC Media.
"Imagine you are a government servant working for a few thousand ringgit and in comes this young kid who earns RM40,000 a month who is calling the shots. It is demoralising to the civil service," he said.
Hiring consultancy services is also highlighted by Pakatan as a waste of resources, which it intends to cut down by slashing the Prime Minister's Department's allocation by a mind numbing RM10 billion.
PKR-Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who acted as moderator, said the formulation of the shadow budget is testament of how much Pakatan can save compared to the BN. "Our work on minimum wage was based on data from the World Bank and volunteer work, while the government is paying RM100 million to pay for the salaries of Pemandu staff," she said, referring to the Performance and Management Delivery Unit headed by Cabinet Minister Idris Jala.
Panelist and DAP-Bukit Bendera Liew Chin Tong (left) added that another example of wastage is the duplication of the Village Safety and Development Committee (JKKK) in Pakatan-held states by the federal government. "The budget for this comes under the Prime Minister's Development's allocation of RM15.86 billion.
"Parliament gets RM78 million, but the (Federal mirror to the JKKK) the Federal Village Safety and Development Committee (JKKKP) get RM156 million," he said.
Anwar's budget speech, 40,000 being printed
He added that with the savings Pakatan intends to put money in the pockets of the people, to boost domestic demand in view of slowing global demand.
"This cannot be done if people are up to their necks in daily expenses," he said.
Asked by a member of the audience how Pakatan intends to spread the word about its alternative budget, Nurul Izzah said that the coalition is printing 40,000 copies of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's speech for distribution to all parliament constituencies. "We understand that it means nothing if there is not traction at the grassroots level...
"I don't mind if the full shadow budget is lifted by the Prime Minister...as policies should in fact emerge from the contestation of ideas," she said.
PM Najib Abdul Razak is due to deliver his Budget 2012 speech in Parliament tomorrow.
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