Special allowance for IPG students: Where is the RM56 billion GST?

BY AFIZ REDZUAN
KUALA LUMPUR, JUL 26: Mahasiswa Malaysia rejects the cessation of the special allowance for Teachers Institution’s (IPG) students and urges the Federal Government and the Education Ministry to retract the plan which will be implemented by June 2018.
A spokesperson for Mahasiswa Malaysia, Fadhli Umar Aminolhuda said, if the plan is followed through, it will affect the number of future teachers from the Degree in Bachelor of Education (PISMP) which will eventually be detrimental to the education development of the future generation.
“We call on the government to stop cutting all education funds from scholarships for studying abroad, funds for public universities which has been cut almost 50% to the IPG allowance cessation.
“We request that the RM54 billion collected last year from GST to be allocated mostly for education and not to cut it every year at the budget tabling,” he said.
According to him, personal allowance has also been cut significantly in a discreet manner without being announced, when the amounts were all synchronised to RM430 while previously it was given based on zones, ranging from RM500 to RM800.
Fadli Umar also added that the allowance cut will burden IPG students particularly those who come from low-income families as they need to undergo various different training programmes with other education institutions.
Soon after, the group of students handed over a memorandum which was received by Parit Buntar Member of Parliament, Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof in the Parliament compound.
The Education Ministry, through a media statement dated July 15, announced that the special allowance given to students in IPG will be ceased starting from the June 2018 intake.
The RM430 personal allowance and RM500 allowance for the journey back to hometown are among privilege given to these future teachers.
Before this, the Malaysian National Teachers’ Union President, Kamarozaman Abd Razak also urged the government particularly the Finance Ministry to review the decision as will have great implication to future teachers.