PTPTN loan repayment: RM4 bln expected to be collected this year

JOHOR BAHRU: The collection of loan repayment for the National Higher Education Fund Corporation ( PTPTN) this year is expected to rise to RM4 billion, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

He said this was due to the significant improvement on the loan repayment, in addition to the performance of last year’s collection which had surpassed the target set by PTPTN.

“PTPTN had targeted to collect a repayment of RM2 billion last year but the amount collected was RM3.4 billion.

“As for this year, PTPTN has targeted to collect RM4 billion... This amount is achieveable given the the positive performance shown by the borrowers,” he said.

Idris was speaking to reporters after officiating the ‘ Duta Jauhar 3.0’ Congress at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) MITEC in Bandar Seri Alam here yesterday.

On Saturday, PTPTN chief executive officer Wan Ahmad Wan Yusoff said until Jan 31 this year, a total of 586,863 PTPTN borrowers had been blacklisted by the Immigration Department with outstanding amount totaling RM11.6 billion.

He also said of the number, a total of 312,068 borrowers had negotiated with PTPTN and started paying back their loans amounting to RM967.9 million.

Meanwhile, on the three students of a public university in Serdang who had been detained for drug possession last Thursday, Idris said the students were being suspended to facilitate investigations.

“The university indeed has stringent security control to prevent any crime and unhealthy activities, and we will further empower on this matter,” he said, adding that the ministry would not compromise with students involved in such cases.

The undergraduates, all aged 22, were picked up during a raid in a hostel room of the university following the discovery of 1.2kg of ganja valued at RM2,500. — Bernama