PTPTN justifies its pay deduction scheme; cops set conditions for Saturday's rally
(Updated )
KINI ROUNDUP | Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.
PTPTN justifies controversial pay deduction scheme
The National Higher Education Fund Corporation's (PTPTN) salary deduction scheme announced yesterday is to benefit the future generation of students, PTPTN chairperson Wan Saiful Wan Jan said.
This follows Wan Saiful's revealing of the scheme to be implemented from yesterday, that will see borrowers' salaries deducted by a percentage of their salaries, with the higher salaried borrowers having to fork out up to RM1,200 and above monthly.
Following backlash against the scheme, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said he will speak directly to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the deduction scheme.
The MTUC said PTPTN has to obtain consent from both borrowers and their employers before the scheme can be implemented.
Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak took another potshot at Education Minister Maszlee Malik over the latter's rating of himself as "9.95 out of 10" as a learner, not a minister, in an interview with Malaysiakini.
Cops set conditions for tomorrow's rally
Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim warned against provocations and seditious speeches, and the bringing of children to the rally against the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd), which is to be held tomorrow, Dec 8.
A group of "silat" practitioners is also expected to hand over a memorandum against Icerd to Istana Negara on the same day, Mazlan also announced.
The event's coordinator, Kamaruzaman Mohamad, said some 120 lawyers have registered to attend the gathering to ensure it proceeds within the confines of the law.
PAS MP Khairuddin Aman Razali said Pakatan Harapan fears that the union between PAS and Umno in the anti-Icerd rally will result in the coalition losing power in the next general election.
Three government sources told Malaysiakini that despite the 500,000-strong crowd touted for Saturday's rally, Putrajaya is unperturbed by the gathering and will not make attempts to stop it.
Other Kinibites
Entrepreneur Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Yusof said the government would be channelling funds for the research and development (R&D) of the third national car project envisioned by the prime minister.
Singapore's Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan said Malaysian government vessels have been continually intruding into the republic's territorial waters off Tuas, with 14 intrusions recorded so far.
Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had advised against Malaysia’s involvement in the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war in 2015.
Johor Crown Prince Tengku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim chastised those who politicise the de-gazetting of Pulau Kukup’s national park status, saying land matters are the exclusive right of the state government.
BN lawmakers staged a walkout after Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Mohd Yusof refused to retract his decision to evict MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh pending clarification on his status as an MP.
Looking ahead
The Women's Ministry will hold a forum on sexual harassment.
Suhakam will hold the final day of hearing on the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh.
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang will speak at Universiti Malaya.

Unrestrained power in your hands
For almost 20 years, Malaysiakini has stayed true to the cause of providing the Malaysian public with the truth. We believe that with unadulterated information, the people will obtain power to make informed decisions.
Decisions which lead to a healthy, robust nation - ours!
Keep the truth alive. Support your robust, independent media. You have the unrestrained power to do so.

In news we trust
A media which is sustained by the backing and support of its people is ensured its independence. The prolonged fight for justice with the support of the public has made it possible for Malaysiakini to continue its operations for over 20 years.

Who says it's not our fault?
We aren’t trained to take responsibility.
Everytime we observe an injustice - and choose to keep mum - the prevalence of injustice becomes our fault.
Astute journalism paves the way for the public to be continuously furnished with the fastidious truth. You are continuously empowered to act and to uphold the integrity of the nation.

Your say is the most crucial say!
THE MOST COURAGEOUS ACT STILL IS TO THINK FOR YOURSELF. Aloud.
HAVE A SAY ON MALAYSIAKINI’S YOURSAY.

The Rakyat owns Malaysiakini
We choose to take a risk on independent media because we believe that only through independent reporting can one be NOT beholden to the interest of businesses or organisations. This allows us to really pursue the truth - aggressively.
Malaysiakini.
Independent for 20 years.

You know when it gets real
Listen to your gut.
You know when it gets real.
Truth really matters.
Malaysiakini.
Going beyond expectations.

The victorious people
In the light of holding the truth to power, Malaysiakini will continue to uphold its mission of providing credible news to its discerning public. Your support for Malaysiakini is always treasured as a testament of innate nationalism. Your victory is our history.
Quietly. Effectively. Says it all. Malaysiakini.

Speaking truth to power
When we embarked on this journey 20 years ago, we knew we would face intimidation, harassment, raids, arrests and perhaps even jail terms. We got into this venture with our eyes wide open.
The main reason we have survived this long - when many others have folded - is partly because we are prudent in our finances. But while we may be tightfisted in our budgeting, we do not hold back when it comes to speaking truth to power and holding power to account. And certainly, this new administration will not stop us from continuing to do so.

Serving humanity
As servants of this nation, we at Malaysiakini applaud the continuous engagement of the public in affairs of the state.
You make Malaysiakini what it is.
You make Malaysia what it is.

The future is moving in
Stay curious. Stay with Malaysiakini. Our energy is to meet your demands. As the future moves in, let us help you be in time for it.
We hear you.
The comment section is an integral part of Malaysiakini. We are commited to improve our website based on your feedback. This is why we have upgraded our comment section to include the following new features that you have been asking for.
- View all your comments in ‘My Profile’
- Hide comments from subscribers of your choice
- ‘Like’ other subscribers’ comments
- Reply to an existing comment
- More ways to sort comments
- and more…
We hope you will enjoy our new changes. Don’t hesitate to email us your feedback at [email protected].