KUALA LUMPUR, October 25 — Tertiary education will be free to everyone within 10 years if the Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact succeeds in taking control of Putrajaya in the next elections.

The federal Opposition pact made the pledge in its alternative Budget 2018 today, saying such a policy was possibly as it would conduct "a full audit and study on cost, wastage and corruption factors in all public universities”.

"Pakatan Harapan believes in free public education for all. The provision of free public university education is an ideal that we must achieve within 10 years of taking over government.

"Further, we need to help our graduates increase their employability and wages. To do this, Pakatan Harapan will place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” it said.

The Opposition alliance of PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia said free education is imperative to address a lack of critical thinking skills desired by employers among graduates hunting for jobs.

PH also said it would also expand the Penang government’s German Dual Vocational Training (GDVT), launched in 2015, into a nationwide programme.

It said that while the ruling Barisan Nasional administration’s Education Blueprint has identified TVET as a priority area, there are few resources for apprentice programmes.

"Under this programme, host companies are given funding to conduct on-the-job training for selected TVET students who can then go on to obtain jobs in the same companies or the same sector,” it added.