‘EXPLAIN TRAVEL BAN’

Education minister wants PTPTN to clarify the issue to avoid misunderstanding

THE National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has been told to clarify its proposal to reintroduce the travel ban on defaulters as part of its loan repayment scheme.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said this was because the matter was raised during a public consultation.

He added that the travel ban suggestion did not come from PTPTN itself.

He, however, said the matter had been widely discussed, with the perception that the PTPTN had brought up the proposal to reintroduce the travel ban on defaulters instead.

“We hope PTPTN can provide an explanation on the matter to the media as we do

not want any misunderstanding,” he said after visiting SJK(T) Sungai Ara here yesterday.

PTPTN began its public consultation programme on Thursday, which would go on until June 13, with the aim of seeking feedback regarding a viable loan repayment scheme and the loan’s sustainability.

During the briefing, the PTPTN management said it was looking at several options to improve study loan repayments, in cluding reintroducing the travel ban.

PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan hinted that the reintroduction of the travel ban was one of the most effective means of getting defaulters to pay up.

Last June, PTPTN lifted the travel ban on over 400,000 loan defaulters.

Commenting on the matter, PKR’s Seberang Jaya assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin said PTPTN’s proposal was regrettable. “I would like to remind him that the PTPTN issue had been the rallying cry for Pakatan Harapan Youth in the 14th General Election, where we galvanised youths nationwide so that PTPTN could find a better formula for the future,” said the Penang state executive councillor.