[VERSI BAHASA MELAYU]

BANTAHAN TERHADAP PENGURANGAN BANTUAN PENDIDIKAN TINGGI

1. Baru-baru ini, atas cadangan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia telah bersetuju untuk meneruskan pemberian Bantuan Pelajar Pendidikan Tinggi (BPPT) dengan memperuntukkan sejumlah RM120 juta untuk disampaikan kepada seramai 1.2 juta mahasiswa dan mahasiswi warganegara Malaysia yang menuntut di institut-institut pendidikan tinggi (IPT) tempatan. Hal ini menjelaskan bahawa bantuan kewangan sebanyak RM100 akan diberikan kepada setiap orang penuntut IPT melalui kad debit Bank Rakyat yang diperkenalkan semasa zaman pemerintahan kerajaan pimpinan Barisan Nasional terdahulu.

2. Namun begitu, keputusan untuk mengurangkan kadar bantuan tersebut daripada jumlah asal sebanyak RM250 seharusnya dipertimbangkan terlebih dahulu oleh kedua-dua Kementerian Kewangan dan Kementerian Pendidikan kerana bukan semua penuntut di IPT tempatan menerima bantuan kewangan seperti biasiswa awam dan swasta serta pinjaman pendidikan. Malahan, para pemimjam PTPTN juga tidak dapat memanfaatkan wang pinjaman tersebut sebaik mungkin untuk keperluan harian seperti makanan, buku-buku dan keperluan pembelajaran lain setelah membayar segala bentuk yuran di IPT yang menelan sebahagian besar perbelanjaan daripada bantuan kewangan itu.

3. Akhir kata, sekiranya kerajaan pimpinan Pakatan Harapan hari ini ingin dianggap sebagai kerajaan yang prihatin akan kebajikan golongan mahasiswa Malaysia, kami sebagai mahasiswa dan mahasiswi tempatan membantah pengurangan kadar bantuan tersebut serta menuntut agar Kementerian Kewangan meningkatkan kembali jumlah BPPT kepada setiap penuntut IPT tempatan dengan peruntukan sekurang-kurangnya sebanyak RM250 seperti yang diberikan sebelum ini bagi meringankan bebanan yang kami pikul dalam menghadapi liku-liku perjuangan menuntut ilmu. Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia juga sewajarnya turut memainkan peranan yang penting dalam memastikan kebajikan penuntut IPT tempatan tidak tergugat oleh sebab penurunan kadar bantuan tersebut.

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[VERSI BAHASA INGGERIS]

DISAPPROVAL TOWARDS BPPT'S REDUCTION

1. Recently, as suggested by the Ministry of Education, Malaysian Ministry of Finance agreed to continue the allocation of Bantuan Pelajar Pendidikan Tinggi (BPPT) by providing an amount of RM120 million to be allocated for 1.2 million Malaysian students who are currently studying at the local higher education institutions. This matter illustrates that the financial assistance in the amount of RM100 will be given to each student through Bank Rakyat Debit Card which has been introduced during the times of previous government administered by Barisan Nasional coalition.

2. However, the decision to reduce from its initial amount of RM250 should be considered by both Finance Ministry and Education Ministry first because not all local students received financial assistance such as public and private scholarships and educational loans. In fact, the PTPTN loaners could not also enjoy the money lent to them as best as possible for daily expenditures such as food, books and other educational materials after settling all kinds of fees at their local higher education institution which are mostly spent on.

3. Therefore, if the current government administered by Pakatan Harapan coalition wants to be regarded as the government which are responsible towards Malaysian students' welfare, we as the local students disapprove towards the reduction and demand the Ministry of Finance to reincrease the total amount of BPPT's allocation, at least, back to the previous amount of RM250 for each student in order to relieve our hardships in facing the struggles in seeking knowledge. The Ministry of Education should also play crucial role in ensuring the local students' welfare are protected from being compromised due to the BPPT's reduction.

'HIDUP BIAR BERJASA'

PERSATUAN KEBANGSAAN PELAJAR ISLAM MALAYSIA (PKPIM)

NATIONAL UNION OF MALAYSIAN MUSLIM STUDENTS