Don’t be swayed by promises of free education, says minister

KOTA BARU: Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh has urged the public not to be influenced by the opposition’s promise of introducing free education as it was not practical.

He said the opposition had been trumpeting about offering free education, adding that they should have implemented it in Selangor through the state-owned Universiti Selangor (Unisel).

“I challenge them to implement free education at Unisel first.

“They did it before but failed, and the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) had to step in,” he said after launching Big Data Lab and opening a new building at the Universiti Teknologi Mara campus here yesterday.

Idris said the fees charged to students in Malaysia were among the lowest in Asia.

“This is because more than 90 per cent of academic fees in public universities have been subsidised by the government,” he said.

The government, he said, was helping students by providing loan facilities, such as PTPTN, scholarships and sponsorships from various agencies, including the Public Service Department.

In the 2018 Budget presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last Friday, a RM2.2 billion scholarship allocation was announced to boost the higher education sector. Bernama