Pakatan Harapan Youth should prove its election pledge to provide free higher education at public universities by immediately implementing the policy in states under its control, Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said today.

“It is certainly easy for Pakatan Harapan Youth to promise all kinds of things to fish for votes in the upcoming general election.

“However, Gerakan Youth is doubtful whether these are merely empty promises or otherwise,” said Tan in a statement responding to PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad who presented the Harapan Youth 14th general election manifesto on education during a press conference earlier today.

Nik Nazmi had, among others, reiterated the federal opposition’s pledge to provide free education from kindergarten to university level if it succeeded to win over Putrajaya.

Tan as such challenged Nik Nazmi, who is also the Selangor state executive councillor in charge of education, to table the proposal to waive tuition fees in Universiti Selangor and Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor at an upcoming exco meeting for a decision by the state government.

“There is no reason why Pakatan Harapan should refuse to give free higher education now at both Universiti Selangor and Kolej Islam Antarabangsa Selangor since they are promising to do so in the election manifesto.

“In the event Pakatan Harapan refuses to give free higher education now in Universiti Selangor and Kolej Islam Antarabangsa Selangor, then the public should be mindful of the contents of Pakatan Harapan election manifesto,” he said.

Leading up to GE14, the Harapan Youth wing chiefs have promised to unveil a series of its promises for the youth voters, which would then be further discussed and incorporated as part of the four parties' joint election manifesto.