NEARLY half of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) borrowers who have yet to make repayments are recipients of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) cash aid, said Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
The Higher Education Minister revealed that as of Aug 31, PTPTN data showed that 415,109 borrowers had not made any loan repayments. Of these, he said 189,580 borrowers or 45.7% were recipients of STR, while the remaining 225,529 borrowers (54.3%) were not.
“PTPTN currently only holds data collected at the time of application, when borrowers typically had no income,” Zambry said in a parliamentary written reply.
This was in response to Jerantut MP Khairil Nizam Khirudin, who asked how many PTPTN borrowers are currently employed with a salary exceeding RM3,000 but have never made any repayments. Khairil also asked about the number of borrowers from the Jerantut constituency.
Zambry said that within the Jerantut parliamentary constituency alone, 1,710 borrowers had not made repayments, with the total outstanding amount reaching RM38.17mil as of Aug 31.
In September, PTPTN revealed that there were 430,000 borrowers who had never made repayments totalling RM6bil.
Zambry added that PTPTN is planning to take legal action against defaulters. He said the irresponsible attitude of these individuals has put PTPTN’s financial position at risk.
“Some of the defaulters graduated decades ago without making a single repayment,” he noted.
He said borrowers should act responsibly by communicating with PTPTN regarding their financial difficulties as repayments are essential to support future generations.
Last month, The Star reported that low income and the lack of a backlash for defaulting are among the reasons why some borrowers have stopped repaying their PTPTN loans.
However, many others are diligently settling their debts despite their low pay, compromising their other needs.
