Some 500 university students took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur today to demand the abolition of National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN), a national scholarship scheme which they deemed exploitative.

NONE Kicking off the procession at the Masjid Jamek LRT station, the energetic youths marched towards Jalan Raja Laut and headed to their main rally venue - Dataran Merdeka.

Unlike some earlier protests the city had seen, the police were at hand to ensure smooth traffic flow instead of cracking down on the protesters and dousing them with chemical-laced water.

Holding up banners that read among others, "Scrap PTPTN" and "We Want Free Education", the students also took a swipe at the alleged lavish lifestyle of the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor.

" NONE Rosmah is rich, people is poor! Umno-BN, capitalists suck!," they chanted.

The protesters arrived at Dataran Merdeka at 4pm and proceeded to set up tents at the venue.

They said they intended to continue their sit in at Dataran Merdeka until April 28.

“The tents symbolise the life of hardship facing the students.

"Those who take loans from PTPTN are only given RM1,500 pocket money every six months. It is not enough for us to pay for rental and food,” said Solidarity Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) chairperson Safwan Anang.      

NONE He said 100 students will continue to camp at the venue until the government responds to them, failing which they will remain camped there until April 28 to greet the planned Bersih 3.0 rally at the same venue.

When asked what they would do if the authorities chase them out, Safwan said they “will still camp somewhere else.”

Najib, Khaled portraits wreathed

Among the leaders of the protest included Malaysia Bangkit Mohd Syahid Mohd Zaini, Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Malaysia Akram Ikrami Taib Azamudden, Kelab Mangsa PTPTN member Mandeep Singh and Malaysia Students Democratic Movement member Heng Kiah Chun.

NONE The students want the government to emulate European countries in providing free education, citing Malaysia’s tax revenues and rich natural resources as some of the justifications.    

They were also unhappy with the one to four percent interest rates imposed by PTPTN, which they claimed is a form of commercialisation of education at the expense of poor students.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had earlier said that the government would need to fork out RM43 billion to scrap PTPTN; while Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin had asked the students to cancel today’s protest.

The two leaders faced the students’ wrath today as the protestors placed funeral wreaths around their portraits during a stop outside Maju Junction Mall along their march.

NONE At the same location, anonymous individuals also showed up to distribute leaflets to the protestors and onlookers, accusing PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim of being the original mastermind behind the PTPTN scheme.

The leaflet alleged that Anwar was the acting prime minister when PTPTN was established on July 1, 1997 and cited several adverse impacts if the scheme is abolished.

When asked to comment about this later, SMM media secretary Syukri Kamaruddin called it a provocation by their detractors, but stressed that the “solution to the problem is more important now”.

Police keeps distance

Despite the protestors chanting anti-BN slogans throughout the event, SMM chief Safwan maintained that the event has not been politicised.

“Umno Youth has also conducted a roundtable discussion on the matter, so I don’t think we have politicised the issue,” he said.

NONE Asked why the students were calling for a regime change when their demand is for free education, he said the people are upset with the current government.

“If the current government cannot provide us with free education, then we should change it,” said the student leader.   

 

Meanwhile, Dang Wangi district police station ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman when contacted said the students' action to set up camps is under the purview of the Kuala Lumpur city council.

"We will only take action if there is a criminal element," he told Malaysiakini .

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