A group of student activists marched some 8km to the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur to protest a recent government decision on National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan repayments.

The 10 – some of whom were dressed in graduation gowns and mortarboards – gathered at Universiti Malaya before proceeding to Parliament at about 11am. It took them an hour to reach their destination.

The activists were protesting the implementation of a scheduled pay deduction of between two and 15 percent for PTPTN loanees earning more than RM1,000 a month.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng unveiled the plan when tabling Budget 2019 on Nov 2.

The activists, from Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia (Gamis), had intended to meet Education Minister Maszlee Malik to hand over a memorandum containing four demands. 

These include making compulsory PTPTN repayment for borrowers who earn RM4,000 or more; the establishment of a National Education Charity Fund to take care of education expenses; a reduction in the salaries of ministers, political appointees, and GLC executives, so that more funds can be diverted to education; and for at least 25 percent of the budget to be channelled towards the sector.

However, the activists' wish to hand in the memorandum was dampened by police at the scene, who far outnumbered the protestors. 

"We have walked for 9km. Some of us have not yet eaten... just to meet with Maszlee. 

"Unfortunately, today we have been asked to wait by the roadside," said Gamis president Muhammad Faizuddin Mohd Zai. 

Najib rallies for support

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak urged students to support him in pressuring the government to restore certain incentives for PTPTN borrowers.

This includes discounts of 20 percent for full repayment, 10 percent for paying half of the loan balance, and 10 percent for those making monthly auto-debit or salary deductions to repay PTPTN.

He also wants the government to restore the six- to 12-month grace period for fresh graduates before they are compelled to make repayments, as well as the RM500 matching grant for SSPN contributors.

"If the government can't fulfil its promise to abolish or postpone PTPTN, at least restore what I gave before (in Budget 2018)," he said.