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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently said the government will discuss the possibility of abolishing the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) after the issue resurfaced during the Johor state election.
It started when a DAP representative asked in the Dewan Rakyat whether Pakatan Harapan should revisit its pledge to abolish PTPTN, pointing out that Barisan Nasional had used voters' frustration over unfulfilled election promises to discredit Pakatan during the Johor polls.
Anwar responded by saying he would discuss the proposal with Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir.
For many young Malaysians, Anwar's statement must have sounded like hope.
For the rest of us, it sounded familiar.
We've heard this before.
The idea of abolishing PTPTN has been around since 2013, when Pakatan Rakyat pledged free higher education in its election manifesto. Since then, Pakatan has repeatedly promised to write off or defer PTPTN repayments for B40 borrowers and graduates earning below certain income thresholds during the 2018 and 2022 general elections.
Thirteen years have passed. Governments have changed. Cabinets have changed. Yet the conversation remains largely where it started.
So my question isn't whether PTPTN should be abolished.
My question is, why now?
If this has always been the right thing to do, why wasn't it pursued when there was the opportunity?
Every year in government was an opportunity.
Every Budget was an opportunity.
Every parliamentary sitting was an opportunity.
Instead, the issue suddenly finds new life immediately after a state election, where Pakatan Harapan was reminded that voters still remember what was promised.
That timing matters.
Because public policy should not be driven by the latest election result.
What makes the latest announcement even more puzzling is that just a few months ago, Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim told the Dewan Rakyat that almost half a million PTPTN borrowers had yet to repay their loans, with some facing travel restrictions.
The message then was clear: borrowers should repay their loans so that PTPTN could continue helping future generations of students.
Now, the government is talking about abolishing the very scheme it was urging people to sustain.
So what has changed?
Has the country's financial position improved?
Has the government developed a new funding model for higher education?
Or did the Johor election simply remind politicians that old manifestos have long memories?
I am not against reviewing PTPTN. In fact, every Malaysian would welcome a serious discussion on making higher education more affordable and accessible.
But we deserve more than hearing old election pledges whenever they become politically relevant again.
A promise is meaningful only when it is followed by action. Otherwise, it becomes campaign material, recycled whenever it is needed most.
After thirteen years, Malaysians deserve more than another discussion.
We deserve certainty.
Either abolish PTPTN, or be honest that it is no longer the plan.
Fa Abdul (fa.abdul.penang@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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