Kit Siang seeks apology from Muhyiddin, Khaled

DAP has asked federal ministers Muhyiddin Yassin and Mohamed Khaled Nordin to take a leaf from the government’s recent 1Malaysia moral guide book and apologise for endorsing the freeze of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan for two Selangor-run education institutions.

"The question is whether the Muhyiddin and Khaled would have the decency to apologise for such bullying and criminal breach of trust tactics as they had publicly endorsed the unethical, vindictive and vengeful PTPTN freeze...," said DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang in a statement yesterday.

This, he said, was pertinent as just on Thursday, Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim launched the 1Malaysia moral guide book, extolling 21 moral values.

"Or is Rais’ 1Malaysia moral guide as stillborn as other 1Malaysia gimmickry, or are BN ministers and leaders to be exempted from these 21 moral values as they are only meant for the common Malaysian populace?

Lim was commenting on the deputy PM, who on Thursday said PTPTN would revoke the freeze on Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Selangor International Islamic University College (Kuis) if PKR admits it is wrong on the education issue.

"How can Muhyiddin and Khaled behave as if public funds in PTPTN are like their grandfather’s monies, which they could spend as they like, including victimising and penalising Unisel and Kuis students by turning them into scapegoats in the power play by Umno and BN in its desperate attempt to wrest back the Selangor government from Pakatan Rakyat?" he said.

Kit Siang returns salvo

PTPTN, which earlier said the move was intended to ‘test’ Pakatan's commitment to free education, had yesterday withdrawn its decision to freeze study loans to the two Selangor-owned institutions.

This fiasco, Lim pointed out, was consistent with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's admission that Umno faced a scarcity of competent leaders due to decades of turning away talents.

"Clearly, Malaysia not only has still a 'half-past six' cabinet under Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration, the country also has a 'half-past six' deputy prime minister and education minister, as well as a ‘half-past six’ higher education minister to co-produce the PTPTN farce," he quipped.

Lim was mimicking Rais, who during the launch of the 1Malaysia moral guide on June 7 took the opportunity to take a jab at Bersih 3.0.

The information minister, blaming violence at the rally's end on Bersih, called on the coalition for clean and fair elections to learn from the guidebook on proper behaviour.