The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- Refunds for study loan borrowers
- Aid mission members reach Mogadishu airport safely, leave Somalia
- Somali rebel attack: TV3 cameraman’s family thankful he is safe
| Refunds for study loan borrowers Posted: 03 Sep 2011 04:18 AM PDT TEMERLOH: Borrrowers who obtained study loans after 2008 will get a refund if they opt to convert their 3% administration charge to 1% under the ujrah scheme. National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) chairman Datuk Ismail Mohamad Said said however, this would not apply to four categories of borrowers: those who have changed their course of study, obtained loans from other sponsors, have had legal action taken against them or have already settled their loans in full. "The reduction will reduce the burden by borrowers. "Borrowers also need not pay back the loan if they graduate with first class honours as the loans would automatically become scholarships. "Some people think that the 1% or 3% is interest but it is actually strictly for our administration cost,'' Ismail said after he hosted a Hari Raya open-house in his Kuala Krau constituency in Kampong Peragap, here Saturday. He said only 800,00 borrowers who have not settled their loans by June 1, 2008 are eligible to have their loans converted to the Islamic loan system of ujrah. "Others, are not eligible as they belong to the four categories of borrowers mentioned,'' he said. However, he said, they could till appeal for the 1% administration charges and are given 90 days from the beginning of this month. On Friday, PTPTN announced plans to convert 800,000 conventional study loans to the ujrah scheme. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the conversion was applicable to all borrowers and not limited to Muslims. |
| Aid mission members reach Mogadishu airport safely, leave Somalia Posted: 03 Sep 2011 03:09 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: Members of the humanitarian aid mission to famine-struck Somalia made it safely to Mogadishu airport on Saturday and have boarded the plane with the body of BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor who was killed by a stray bullet on Friday. The plane will stop at Seychelles and Maldives before heading for Malaysia, Astro Awani reporter Tan Su Lin said by telephone from Mogadishu airport. She is a member of the mission's media team. The plane is expected to land in Malaysia at about 9.30am on Sunday Cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, 39, was killed Friday by a stray bullet when shots were fired at a government army truck accompanying a vehicle carrying Malaysian media personnel covering the Putera 1Malaysia Club humanitarian aid mission here. Noramfaizul, who had joined the Malaysian national news agency in 2002, leaves behind a wife Norazrina Jaafar, 37, and two sons Mohd Irfan, 8, and Mohd Naufal, 3. Women, Community and Family Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who visited his family on Saturday, said that Yayasan Kebajikan Negara would take care of Noramfaizul's two children's schooling. Noramfaizul's remains would be buried at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Muslim cemetery in Serdang near Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, said Kelab Putera 1Malaysia vice president Rahman Rahim, speaking on behalf of Noramfaizul's family. He said the funeral would be held after the midday prayers provided the plane landed on schedule. He said the body would be prepared for burial at the Royal Malaysian Air Force's Subang air base on arrival from Somalia before being brought to Noramfaizul's house in Taman Serdang Raya for the funeral prayers. More in Sunday Star Related Stories: |
| Somali rebel attack: TV3 cameraman’s family thankful he is safe Posted: 03 Sep 2011 02:07 AM PDT JOHOR BARU: The family of Aji Saregar Mazlan is thankful the TV3 cameraman is safe, following a shooting incident in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Friday. However, their heart goes out to BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor's grieving family. The 39-year-old was killed when rebel forces attacked and fired in the direction of the Malaysian media team's truck. He was hit by stray bullets in the incident about 11pm. Aji's mother, Rohana Jamil, 50, said the family became anxious when her son did not call them Friday. Anxiety turned to gloom when the family received a telephone call from a TV3 personnel about 11.20pm, with the news that Aji, 27, was hurt by after being shot at by a group of rebels. "My heart felt like it had stopped...tears started to flow when I received news that my son had been shot," said Rohana. She said, since leaving for Somalia on Aug 28, Aji would contact his father, Mazlan Mohd Sam, 52, daily at 5pm. "Whenever my son telephoned, he would inform us that the turbulence in Somalia was worse than the conflict in Gaza. He asked us to pray for his safety, causing me to be even more worried. "However, Aji failed to contact his father Friday, causing me to be very concerned that something bad had happened to him," she said Saturday when met at her house in Jalan Bukit Kempas here. A tearful Rohana said she was very reluctant to allow Aji to follow the humanitarian mission but the cameraman had repeatedly asked her permission to go to Somalia. Prior to this, Aji had been on several missions such as Gaza and Cairo. Meanwhile, Mazlan was thankful as his son, who was injured on the right hand, was now reported to be in stable condition. Nevertheless, he sympathised with the family of Noramfaizul who was killed after he was shot in the shoulder and chest. "Tomorrow, at 5am, our family will go to Kuala Lumpur because all members of the humanitarian mission, including Aji, and Noramfaizul's remains, are expected to arrive at 10am," added Mazlan. Aji and Noramfaizul were part of a 55-strong volunteers who were on the 1Malaysia Putera Club Humanitarian Mission to help victims of drought and starvation in Somalia. - Bernama |
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