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Selangor's 3-day war: Umno raises white flag
Published:  Jun 9, 2012 9:18 AM
Updated: 6:33 AM

YOURSAY 'The reversal of the decision, coming in just a matter of a few days, shows how unpopular the decision to freeze the loans has become.'

PTPTN backs down on Unisel, Kuis loan freeze

CHKS: The allegation that the Selangor government cannot provide free education is flawed in many ways:

1) Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim had come up with a continency plan within hours of the freeze to liquidate some of its assets. In fact, he should be applauded for his courage to come up with such quick measures while more solid plans were being made.

2) This loan freeze is akin to launching an ambush or a guerrilla attack while the enemy is unprepared, whereas Pakatan Rakyat's promise to provide free education was made in the context of after the takeover of the federal government.

3) The Selangor government was only given hours to days to come up with a plan to provide free education. How can anyone come up with such plan in such a short time? It is akin to a student being asked a complicated mathematics question without giving the student sufficient time to even calculate.

The sweet talk of PTPTN that it has not betrayed students does not make sense because:

1) This statement is made only after the higher education minister openly declared that this freeze was to teach Pakatan a lesson.

2) It is not the magnitude or duration of the freeze that counts. It is the attitude of PTPTN that is troubling. The fact that they can do this kind of unthinkable thing proves that they have never put the welfare of the students as their first priority.

If they can do this on a mini-scale this time, what can stop them from repeating it on a massive, nationwide scale in future?

FellowMalaysian: After realising that their silly and childish tit-for-tat action is backfiring on them, BN - after three days of ‘litmus-testing' - finally admitted the futility of their follies and conceded defeat.

The white flag was raised much to the bemusement of the Selangor government and its residents as earlier BN had threatened not to budge until Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim declares the state is unable to provide for its own education.

By lifting the ban within days of imposition, BN's mea culpa comes at an awkward time for them as the backlash will likely be reflected in the upcoming GE13.

Ferdtan: This is a slap in the face for Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for supporting the PTPTN loan freeze on Unisel (Universiti Selangor) and Kuis (Selangor International Islamic University College).

The reversal of the decision, coming in just a matter of a few days, shows how unpopular the decision to freeze the loans has become.

This is due to the success of the people's power using the Internet to spread to a much wider audience the discontentment and unhappiness.

Fz2379: Of course, in slamming PTPTN as akin to a ‘loan shark', PKR leaders did not mention the fact that if a student obtains good grades throughout her or his studies, she or he can apply for the loan to be turned into a scholarship, thus there is no need to pay the PTPTN.

Since PKR is openly criticising the government over the PTPTN, why are they complaining when PTPTN is not offered to the Selangor-owned university? Isn't it what they had been fighting for?

The opposition should carry on with their plans to offer free tertiary education in Unisel. The conclusion is: We can not trust the opposition because they twist stories and tell lies to trick us.

Isaac: They must not have expected that Selangor was so well-managed financially by Selangor CM Khalid that it could liquidate some of the state assets from the Talam group failure, which was a product of the then BN state government, to help the students.

Afraid of political backlash, especially in the coming 13th GE, this flip-flop drama by the top BN very 'competent' ministers must be very amusing to Malaysians.

Abasir: Let's hope PKR learns a simple lesson from this colossal act of stupidity: Don't emulate these Umno leaders when you come to power.

There are many like Anwar and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali who were weaned off the ‘moronising' diet of Umno stupidity and racism. They must purge all traces of this from their system before they take over the reins.

Malaysians will not tolerate more of the same, no matter in what new flavour this patent stupidity comes in.

Fong: Umno should continue to freeze the loan. The fact that they have backed down goes to show that they have admitted they were wrong.

Even then, the PTPTN chairperson Ismail Mohamed Said has turned the reversal on its head by saying that Pakatan cannot manage free education so they have decided to stop the freeze.

The people responsible for this threat to stop the study loans should resign, or if possible, be sued.

Anonymous_3e86: BN's stupid and immature maneuver has cost them many fence-sitters. That's the reason why they suddenly reversed their decision to freeze the loans.

The students and their parents are now hopping mad - everyone can see how BN leaders are willing to punish innocent students to ensure their political survival.

Jack Loo: Shame on you all, BN ministers - you use the students to play politics, and the way you make decisions and the speed you change them are shocking. How can we trust you to run the country?

PTPTN freeze debacle: Damage already done


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