Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar is to table a motion in Parliament seeking the dropping of a proposed amendment to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) barring students holding posts in political parties from being student body officials as well.

NONE "Even if I'm just a party branch sports bureau chief, I can't run for student council elections, or be the chairperson of my university's drama club (for example). So it is very restrictive," said Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief.

He said the BN Backbencher's Club was unhappy with the amendment to Section 15(2)(c) of the UUCA and he would table the motion, next week, on its behalf.

Khairy was speaking at a press conference today, after closing a roundtable discussion on the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) organised by Umno's Youth wing.

The Bill to amend the UUCA was tabled on Monday and is meant to allow university students to take part in political activities.

Khairy also slammed PKR’s proposal yesterday to use oil revenue to pay off the PTPTN debts as hypocritical.

NONE He said PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli merely showed that the government could write off the debts, but the issue was whether it should do so.

“If you decide to wipe out the PTPTN debt, it has to come at the expense of something else. Whether you pay in instalments of 10 or 20 years, or issue bonds, it is still going to cost us, somewhere else.

“So I see a major hypocrisy here. They said the government is not prudent, and is irresponsible in spending, but they are adding on to government expenditure,” he said.

He dismissed PKR’s bid to abolish PTPTN as a ‘populist’ but not well thought-out election promise by  its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, for which Rafizi had to ‘fill in the blanks’ three weeks later.

During his speech at the closing ceremony earlier, Khairy hailed the roundtable as success in being able to include all stakeholders, including senior PTPTN officers.

Umno Youth’s head of  Institutions of Higher Education Bureau, Syahrin Jamaluddin said 160 people took part in the the roundtable discussion, including representatives from various universities, graduates, and NGOs such as Perkasa and Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung.

NONE In addition, Syahrin ( left ) said in his closing speech, the roundtable also considered feedback given on Facebook and Twitter.

A total of 11 resolutions were made by the participants and these were submitted to Khairy to be brought to the prime minister’s attention.

The two-page resolutions cover PTPTN loans, repayment, National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN), and communication.

Among the resolutions are to waive the one percent PTPTN service charge and to provide extra loans for two flight tickets a year for students from Sabah or Sarawak studying in the

peninsula, and vice-versa.

Another suggestion was that repayments should only start after the borrower is employed for six months or has a monthly income of more than RM3,000 to provide a ‘grace period’ for borrowers.

PTPTN should also abolish its practice of ‘blacklisting’ defaulters, which would bar them from going overseas.

PTPTN chief operations officer Wan Ahmad Wan Yusof, who was also present at the function, said he would take note of the proposals.

Wan Ahmad said PTPTN was prepared to negotiate with those who could not repay their loans because of unemployment, and even allow blacklisted defaulters to go overseas if it was given a seven-day notice.

He said blacklisting has been the ‘best solution’ in view that the alternative would be to take the defaulter to court.