“They say they want the students return the money. Sure, on the condition that the roughly RM600 million given to Tajudin is also returned. Then we’ll pay up,” said Mohd Syahid Mohd Zaini, chairperson of one of the protest’s organisers, Malaysia Bangkit.
Tajudin
and Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd had ended a six-year legal battle
in February following an out-of-court settlement.The terms of the settlement remain confidential, but sources say Tajudin’s RM589 million debt to the national asset management company was written off.
In his statement last night, Mohd Syahid (left) also referred to other cases of wasteful spending by the government, such as the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation scandal and the RM7.3 billion Scorpene submarine deal.
Mohd Syahid was responding to Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin’s challenge on Monday for the anti-PTPTN students to return the money they had borrowed.
Letter has no address
He also brushed off Kuala Lumpur mayor Ahmad Fuad Ismail’s statement yesterday that he could not respond to the student’s request for permission to camp at Dataran Merdeka because there was no address stated in the application.
Mohd Syahid said the letter was merely to inform the mayor of the occupation, and asserted that it was the students’ right under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution to “assemble peacefully without arms”.
He reiterated that the students intend to stay at the iconic public square until April 28, except this Saturday to make way for a royal concert to be held there.
The students have been occupying the square - now on its sixth day - to demand for free education and the abolition of PTPTN.
The protestors come in shifts, allowing the students to attend classes and meet other commitments while maintaining a continuous presence in Dataran since Saturday evening.
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