The plan by the opposition to abolish the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) if it takes over the country's administration is not viable at the moment, Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

He said the move would undermine the spirit of competitiveness among students and burden the government because it would have to build more public higher learning institutions (IPTA) to give free education to the society.

This would also reduce demand for private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) and would result in their closure, he said.

“If we abolish the PTPTN, that means that public universities must provide free education.

“What would happen to IPTS then? Who would pay for them? Meaning, these institutions would have to be closed and everybody would have to study in IPTA,” he told reporters after opening the annual general meeting of the National Bumiputera IPTS Association in Kuala Lumpur.

He was commenting on the remarks by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that the opposition pact would abolish the PTPTN if it wins the government in the coming general election.

Mohamed Khaled said the government had taken a more sensible approach with respect to the PTPTN by converting the loan to scholarship for those who obtained first class degree, thus instilling competitiveness among them.

“If everybody obtains a first class degree, each of them would have the loan converted to scholarship. This is as good as abolishing the PTPTN,” he said.

- Bernama