KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the freedom given by the government to students to voice out problems and issues must be utilised as best as possible through the right channels.

He said this must be done responsibly by placing integrity in line with rational values, and courtesy and morality.

"Decision must not be rash and must steer clear from emotional pressure or incitement by other quarters to prevent undergraduates' exclusive status from being manipulated.

"Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out," Muhyiddin said in his message in conjunction with the 2021 National Student Consultative Council (MPPK) general meeting held virtually that was posted on the Higher Education Ministry's Facebook page today.

He said platforms such as MPPK were significant in shaping leadership legacies among students which in turn produced quality, critical and idealistic higher education student leaders.

“I believe through two-way communication between students and the government through the MPPK forum, further strengthened through the leadership talent of council members, the best solutions to resolve issues, especially with regard to student welfare, can be achieved,” he said.

Muhyiddin said MPPK’s general meeting was a significant medium to refute allegations that tertiary students, synonymous with the term ‘young blood’, always made hasty decisions.

“This platform is the mould that will shape student leaders into making mature decisions besides developing strong characters,” he said.

As such, the prime minister hoped the meeting would provide the council opportunities to submit proposals that would be able to help the students’ wellbeing and also society in general.

Muyhiddin said students, those in higher learning institutions in particular, were the nation’s human capital and most valuable assets, not only in terms of manpower and skills, but also through the contribution of smart and resourceful ideas to help the government’s national development agenda.

He said the government was always concerned with students’ aspirations, especially those related to efforts to empower undergraduates.

As an example, Muhyiddin said the government, through the Higher Education Ministry, had taken the initiative to work with higher learning institutions to help students, especially from B40 families.

This includes providing RM50 assistance on a 'one-off' basis to 76,153 new students for the 2020/2021 academic session which involved an allocation of RM3.8 million; B40 Data Plan Assistance with an allocation of RM24 million benefiting 320,396 students; and B40 Device Assistance involving an allocation of RM13 million for 8,965 students.

Meanwhile, the prime minister hoped that MPPK members, as spokespersons for tertiary students, would be able to help publicise the benefits of the vaccination programme, which is among measures taken by the government to reduce the COVID-19 infection rate. 

-- BERNAMA