LETTER | This letter is addressed to the prime minister, education minister and National Higher Education Fund (PTPTPN) chairperson Wan Saiful Wan Jan. 

As an ordinary citizen, all my hopes were raised when Pakatan Harapan won the election on May 9. This was a possibility to reset the whole government machinery, and learn from all the mistakes and wrongdoings of the previous government. 

Initially, Harapan started out well. But with each passing day, hopes began to dim (although I still have hope in Harapan if they remove certain leaders who still carry Umno DNA). 

There were so many mistakes by the past government which could have been corrected but were intentionally committed again and again by the present Harapan government with so many indefensible excuses. 

One of which was Harapan's promise to write off PTPTN loan for students. One of the reasons most students voted for Harapan was because of this. But now, the Harapan government has not only reneged on this promise, but is also working out a repayment schedule for students. 

While the Harapan government may have a lot of good reasons why these students must repay their loans, allow me to respectfully say that you are wrong. Why? 

It is correct to say that you must repay what you borrow. This applies to everyone, even students. But the question is this: why then did you advocate in your manifesto for them not to repay their loans? Are you not contradicting yourselves? Are you not deceiving students? 

But now, you are blaming it on other parties within your coalition advocating this promise. and putting it in. Dear prime minister, once you have agreed and signed it, you are collectively responsible whether you agree to it or not. You cannot excuse yourself.

Your excuse that you did not know the financial state of the country holds no water. A promise is a promise. You must hold up to what you have said and find other ways to handle the deficit, even if it involves taking a soft loan from Japan.

To blame the students for being irresponsible is not correct. Why then do you promise to write it off then? Aren't you teaching them to be irresponsible? 

Instead of writing off the loan, you are working a repayment schedule for them to pay with all the best reasons you can think of – one of which is that so others can get a chance to obtain study loans. 

You not only did not write off the loans, or let it remain dormant, you are imposing a repayment by 'force.' This tantamount to deceit.

What you should have done is this: admit that you were wrong in making the promise. Secondly, because you had made the promise, and won the election, partly because they supported you, you still have to keep your word, even though it may be 'pinch' terribly. 

Thirdly, work out a system that after, say three years, you would reintroduce repayment because of all of your good reasons. Give them time. This is also due to the unstable economy at this moment. Yes, these steps may be hard but you have no choice – because of your promise.

Let me be clear, I do not support the students for their irresponsibility to expect their loans to be written off by the government. I still hold and believe that everyone must repay what they are owed, as a matter of principle. 

I agreed it is wrong not to repay. But the fault is not the students' to begin with.

The fault was with the Harapan government who made the promise and cannot fulfil it, and which is now coming up with excuses to pin the blame on the students. 

This is wrong. Period.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.