As discussions on the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans rage on, involved parties have begun finger pointing to shift blame for the introduction of the scheme.

If yesterday former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad blamed PKR de facto leader and the then deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim, PKR Youth today passed the buck to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

NONE Referring to the Parliament Hansard, PKR Youth deputy information chief Najwan Halimi ( left ) said in a statement that it was Najib who had tabled the PTPTN Act in 1997 in his capacity as the education minister.

“Mahathir’s statement as reported by media yesterday does not absolve his administration from the guilt of forming PTPTN nor does it free Najib...who tabled the Bill in Parliament in 1997,” he said.

Meanwhile, PAS Youth information chief Ridhuan Mohd Nor said that Umno Youth’s proposal to do away with the interest for PTPTN loans shows that their roundtable discussion on the issue had failed.

“We would like to remind Umno Youth that Pakatan Rakyat has found the formula to provide free education without turning the country bankrupt,” he said in a statement.

PKR had earlier proposed that RM24.7 billion of PTPTN loans still owed by students be financed with RM2 billion per annum from oil and gas revenues for over 15 years.

It had also proposed the building of 10 more public institutions of higher learning over the next 10 years to accommodate 100,000 students, and that the tuition and accommodation fees be paid for by the government.

It also called for a new education fund for students who opt to study in private institutions. However, this fund will only be available if there were no more places for the same course in public institutions.