Hungry students phenomenon a serious problem

O
BY: NAZLI IBRAHIM
SHAH ALAM, JAN 20: A research conducted by Malaysia Muslim Volunteer Body (MMVB) in 2016 found that more than 75% of graduates do not have enough money for food.
This hungry students phenomenon is different from the time before the government started to introduce the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) and reduced the education budget.
“Besides the special allocation from the Government, bursaries and scholarships that poor students rely on were also cut. Between 2015 to 2016, more than RM800 million or 27% were cut, that created the phenomenon.

“A research conducted by MMVB as early as 2016 found that more than 75% of students who participated in the survey did not have enough money to buy food, so this has become the hungry students phenomenon.
“In the early days, the fate of farmers in Baling was championed by graduates but today students themselves are battling hunger on campuses. This is a serious phenomenon,” said Nik Nazmi during the Free Education As Solution to PTPTN Crisis Forum at the Rumah Gerakbudaya recently.
He said IPTA students are luckier than IPTS students, who have to fork out more cost.
He added that this is the reason Pakatan has come up with a radical proposal, which is to provide free education to citizens.
In addition, he said this can be done if the government can overcome the issue of corruption, leakages and wastage which are rampant in government today.