BANGI: The National Higher Education Fund Corp (PTPTN) must give a reasonable amount of time before reintroducing any travel ban for those who fail to service their education loans, says PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He agreed that some leeway should be given, as some of the defaulters have yet to get a job.
"I agree with the public's positive view to ensure that any decision will be not be seen as troubling defaulters," he said when asked about his views on the PTPTN's proposal to reintroduce a travel ban to loan defaulters.
He said this at a press conference after a breaking of fast event with several Muslim non-governmental organisations.
"I am will support the people's will, and I feel that the public will disagree with any harsh actions, especially for those who have yet to get a job.
"They took a loan, buy they do not have any work yet.
"Why do we want to burden them, that is my view," said the Port Dickson MP.
It was reported that PTPTN was considering a proposal to reintroduce travel bans for loan defaulters.
In a media briefing earlier on Thursday (May 16), the PTPTN management said it was also looking at several other options to improve study loan repayments.
However, PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan said Putrajaya would have the final say on whether to impose the ban, which he added was one of the most effective means of getting defaulters to service their loans.
“If the people are for it, we will bring it up to the Cabinet, but the decision is not in our hands,” he said when launching a public consultation initiative at the PTPTN headquarters earlier on Thursday.
The public consultation, in the form of an online survey, will be held from May 16 to June 13 to obtain feedback on ideas for a new affordable study loan repayment scheme and measures to improve PTPTN’s loan sustainability.
The travel ban was part of a 10-point proposal presented to PTPTN during a series of stakeholder engagements that kicked off in December last year.
