Sunday April 29, 2007

MPs upset over move to nab defaulters

By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN

MEMBERS of Parliament voiced their unhappiness over an amendment Bill which seeks to detain students who have defaulted in repaying their loans if they try to leave the country.

Section 22a of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) (Amendment) Bill allows the police and Immigration department to “prevent recipients from leaving Malaysia unless and until they pay all the amounts payable to the corporation.

The Bill is the result of the problem of unpaid study loans that has prevented funding agencies from disbursing further loans.

Despite this problem, the MPs felt the provisions of the Bill were too drastic.

Some, like Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin (BN-Jerai), said the poor collection rate was due to the inefficiency of the corporation and students should therefore not be so harshly penalised.

“Why can’t they be like the Inland Revenue Board? If even banks can reschedule the loan applicant’s repayments periodically, why not the corporation?” he asked.

Badruddin suggested that the corporation get additional personnel and open new branches in every state to help recover loans faster.

Datuk Mat Yasir Ikhsan (BN-Sabak Bernam) asked whether the corporation should use bomohs to help recover the money.

Others also suggested that the bill could be in contravention of the United Nations Charter on freedom of movement.

One could not help but feel that there were other reasons for the MP's reluctance to back the bill.

Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan) was quite open about it.

“If an election is to be held tomorrow, they will not vote for us. Disgracing the public in this way is not good for the Government.”

During the debate on Supplementary Supply (2006) Bill, Government backbenchers and Opposition MPs got into a “competition” over funds for the ministry.

It began when Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Tanjung) sought clarification from Energy, Water and Communications deputy minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor if Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) would review its move to cut power supply to consumers who had failed to pay their bills or had tampered with their meters.

Chow said TNB had acted arbitrarily to cut the power supply of consumers suspected to have tampered with their meters. He claimed TNB did not have proper proof.

Shaziman replied that complaints would be checked on a case-by-case basis and power supply would be restored if the meters were indeed faulty.

When Deputy Speaker Datuk Lim Si Cheng moved for an approval for the allocation, the Barisan backbenchers’ voted their affirmative. However, there were a few shouts of “nay” by the Opposition MPs, which signalled their unhappiness with Shaziman’s reply.

On a lighter note, issues of love and kissing scenes on television also got the MPs worked up and there was a lively discussion when Deputy Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Wong Kam Hoong was winding up the debates for his ministry.

Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) said the Censorship Board was being oversensitive in censoring kissing scenes, even between parents and their children in Western shows.

“Foreign film companies will not be interested to invest here if the Board is narrow-minded,” she said.

Her colleague, Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam) said the Board should allow scenes of expressions of love between parents and their children.

Badruddin said Hindi or Hong Kong movies which starred Jackie Chan were huge successes without any kissing scenes.

Meanwhile, Wong answered Kok by saying: “Seputeh seems ghairah (excited) when talking about kissing scenes.”

He said the Board allowed scenes of intimacy and love between parents and their children, or platonic love in Western shows.

However, torrid love and sexually oriented scenes needed to be cut.

The Dewan Rakyat will sit again on May 7.

News Poll

Latest Jobs from Star-Jobs

Latest from StarProperty