Shocked with revelations in the AG’s report that the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) had granted mystery loans with no applications and failure to collect repayments, Gerakan Youth calls for stern action, including dismissal, against errant officials.

Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dr Dominic Lau said irrespective of their seniority and positions, these officials should be punished because public money had been wasted.

Lau said legal action should also be taken, if there was sufficient evidence pinpointing corruption, abuse of power or malpractices.

He said apparently, there was a lack of accountability, responsibility and transparency by the parties concerned.

“Immediate action must also be taken to trace the money back and given to only deserving students while the method in awarding the loans should be changed,” he added.

“It is distressing to know that such happenings can take place. How can we give out money when there are no applicants? Where have all the money gone to?,” he asked.

Lau urged the government to tell the public the measures and actions it had taken regarding mistakes and failings in government departments which were highlighted by the AG in the past few years.

“Each time when the AG Report was made public, the government said it would investigate, take action and prevent mistakes from being repeated. The government should make it known to the public,” he added.

Lau said PTPTN should not act like a Santa Claus giving out goodies when there are other poor but bright students who deserved the loans to further their studies.

In its Report for 2009, the Auditor-General said PTPTN had approved loans totaling RM23.78mil to 16,013 students who did not apply for the facility.

The report also said that even though 227,595 loan agreements were received in 2008 and 2009, a whopping 82% of them have yet to be signed by PTPTN, making it difficult to act against the 187,540 who refused to repay their loans.

On the same Report highlighting poor children in some schools being served with unbalanced meals while others are eating meals prepared 18 hours in advance, Lau called for a better monitoring system as the health of children was being compromised.