KUCHING: The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) should come up with a detailed study on its borrowers prior to setting up effective measures to ensure repayment from the loan defaulters.
This was suggested by Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof at the Cahaya Gawai Aidilfitri programme held at Boulevard Shopping Mall here yesterday.
Commenting on PTPTN’s proposals and ideas to implement restrictions on defaulters, he said it was necessary to take into account the different situation of every borrower instead of implementing a general ban.
“We have advanced technology in this era such as Artificial Intelligence to identify each borrower. If an individual has a good salary and is able to travel abroad for leisure but fails to back the PTPTN, then it is only reasonable to implement the travel ban on him or her,” he said.
Fadillah continued, “Imagine another situation where there is another borrower who is earning less than RM2,000 with a monthly repayment of RM50 for PTPTN. However, he has to skip a month’s payment due to liability reasons.
“Then, it just happens that the company he is working with intends to send him abroad for business reasons. The travel ban imposed by PTPTN on him will seem unreasonable.”
The MP added that PTPTN should make an exemption in the case of those who were not working yet or those who couldn’t afford to make the repayment.
He said,” A different approach may be necessary so that their burden can be lessened according to their capability.
“Previously, PTPTN was flexible about the repayment. Some students even paid as low as RM50 as long as there was repayment.
“However, if the fixed minimum payment remains unpaid, then a penalty can be imposed as a lesson to the defaulters. Some individuals forget to pay while some do it intentionally,” he said.
Sharing his own experience as former Yayasan Sarawak borrower, Fadillah added that everyone should pay back what they owed.
“The government is not doing it for its sake but to ensure the availability of loans for new students at institutions of higher learning.
“If the fund runs out, the new batches of students will not be able to apply for loans,” he pointed out.
Fadillah added that members of the public should leave the policy-making and decisions to the government while the PTPTN loan defaulters should repay back what they owed.
