MCA Youth urges the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, YB Adam Adli Abd Halim to issue a public apology to the rakyat and to the previous government, particularly Barisan Nasional (BN), over his inconsistent stance on the issue of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
YB Adam may have forgotten that when he was a student activist around 2010, he had campaigned vigorously for the abolition of PTPTN. This included sleeping in tents at Dataran Merdeka and taking to the streets in protest, with some participants even carrying tombstones bearing the portraits of the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, and the then Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, adorned with garlands.
YB Adam’s current support for the proposal to impose overseas travel restrictions on defaulting PTPTN borrowers clearly contradicts his stance during his time as a student activist and opposition leader. At that time, he was not only outspoken in opposing such measures, but also accused the BN government of being oppressive and indifferent to the plight of young people.
The reality is that the measures introduced by the previous government to address the issue of PTPTN defaulters were responsible in nature, grounded in the public interest and the sustainability of the nation’s education fund. Travel restrictions, among other measures, were introduced as a last resort to ensure that capable borrowers fulfilled their obligations, so that future generations could continue to enjoy the same benefits.
What is even more regrettable is that policies which were once politicised and portrayed as oppressive are now acknowledged as necessary after Pakatan Harapan assumed power. This clearly shows that earlier criticisms were not based on administrative realities, but were driven purely by political motives.
In this regard, MCA Youth urges YB Adam Adli to either:
- Issue a public apology to the previous government and the people for slandering and politicising PTPTN policies that have proven to be relevant and necessary; or
- Put forward more effective and practical proposals, should he have better ideas to address the problem of defaulting PTPTN borrowers.
The public, especially young adults, have the right to judge who is truly responsible in safeguarding the future of the nation’s education system, and who merely offers promises and political rhetoric.
Mike Chong Yew Chuan
MCA Youth Deputy Chairman
10 February 2026
-MCA Comm-
