RM100 monthly payment proposed for PTPK

LUMUT: The Human Resources Ministry proposed to set the instalment repayment of the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) loan at RM100 per month, said its minister M. Kula Segaran.

He said the proposal was aimed at addressing the issue of loan financings as well as giving the opportunity for more students to pursue studies at acredited public and private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres nationwide.

He said that up to now almost 120,000 out of the 400,000 borrowers were rather reluctant in paying back the loans causing his ministry to have problems to give out financings.

“We understand their situation so what we are doing is we try to enforce strictly to get back this money and once we get this money the government has no need to give us yearly contribution.

“I also met Dr Mahathir (Prime Minister) to get a letter to write to all the student that they have to pay RM100 a month until they have settled the loan,” he told reporters after opening a hall at the Sabah Sri Ramar Thevalaya Paripalana temple at the Royal Malaysian Naval Base here yesterday.

Kula Segaran said that the loan repayment should be made after six months of graduation, but if the borrowers had no income because they had not found work then they could make an appeal to put off payment.

“We understand their situation. Most of them are young people and come from poor families so we allow a flexibility if they are not working, they can come to the PTPK office and make a payment postponement,” he said.

In the meantime, Kula Segaran said that until the third quarter of this year, the ministry had issued a RM105 million funding to TVET students nationwide.