It’s unfair and makes no sense, say borrowers

Slowing exports and tepid inflation have raised expectations that policy makers will need to consider adding to May

PETALING JAYA: Disappointed National Higher Education Fund Corporation borrowers have flooded the Fund’s Facebook page demanding a review of its newly announced repayment scheme.

Borrowers say the new scheme of salary deduction between 2% and 15% is “incredibly” unfair as it punishes those who had been consistently making their repayments.

“Why are they making life hard for good payers and removing non-payers from (the travel) blacklist? This makes no sense,” Bernice Sachiko said.

Jegatheswaran Raman said the new repayment system breaches his current PTPTN contract.

“How can PTPTN just cancel an agreement when there are some people who had been consistently paying back their PTPTN commitments?” asked Ashvin Kumar.

He said it is a shame the government does not understand the difficulties faced by the rakyat and those who were committed to repaying their PTPTN without fail despite struggling with the high cost of living.

“We go through all the hassle to get our old agreement converted into Ujrah (Syariah compliant loan of 1%) and you decide to change the payment scheme again?” said Zeno Valentino.

“If this is the amount for monthly payment instead of annual payment, many people are going to struggle to pay off their monthly commitments to the bank,” he said, adding that the high salary deduction may lead to people forfeiting their insurance, savings, or lose their house and cars.

Yan Tie said that previously, those who fully repay their loan would receive a discount, but now they are instead punished.

Pravin Tamizhan said the new scheme discriminates the M40 by giving privileges to the B40 at the cost of the middle class.

“I can’t believe I voted for a government that removes blacklisted people who never ever pay their PTPTN loan, and punish those who pay consistently by nullifying their contract and making them pay more than three times the initial amount,” he said.

“If I was rich I would not have taken up the PTPTN loan. We work hard for our salary increment and promotion because we want to have a comfortable life, own a house, a car and have children,” Pravin said.

“Living in urban areas with high cost of living is hard enough too ... We are suffering in silence.”