Selangor PKR youth wing leaders today lodged a police report against a nursing college in Cheras for allegedly swindling student loan funds.

masterskill nursing college kajang cheras building 120808 Students of the implicated college, Masterskills College of Nursing and Health, claimed that their alma matter had allegedly deducted loan money granted by the National Body for Higher Education (PTPTN), purportedly for loan insurance.

About 300 of them took to the streets three days ago to protest against the deduction, claiming that the cutbacks were unfair.

Selangor PKR youth chief Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin said the police report was based on a news item on the issue published by the mainstream media.

He told Malaysiakini that the matter was a very serious one as it involved the future of the students and urged police to solve the matter immediately.

“The PTPTN officer (Abdul Ghafar Yusof) said it was just an issue of miscalculation but we think there is more to it than that. How can there be miscalculations at such a large scale?”

Some of the deductions, said Khairul, were as much as 70 percent.

“Why are they suddenly deducting their loan insurance now? What are the reasons and justifications? All these questions must be answered immediately,” said Khairul.

The police report was lodged at the Batu 9 police station in Cheras this morning. Khairul was accompanied by four other Selangor PKR youth wing members.

Masterskills: Nothing to do with us

Students claimed that prior to the deduction made by the college, they would, on average, receive RM750 for pocket money after their college fees is paid. However, after the deduction, some received only RM5, while those least affected by the deduction, received between RM200 to RM500.

They also said the deductions were initially small but escalated as time went on and this prompted them to take action.

When contacted, a Masterskills source said the college had nothing to do with the fiasco, adding that it was an issue between PTPTN and the students.

He however said the college was willing to mediate between the two parties to resolve the issue.

In the latest development, eight students that participated in the protest against the college had been called by the college authorities for questioning.

Five of them, together with their family members, met with one of the college's board of directors yesterday.

Two of them were female students and were asked to identify the organisers of the protest while the remaining three were called in by an officer from the college's administration and records department for the same reason today.