Over 700,000 blacklisted

Customs Department (6,091) and Immigration Department (1,543).

Mustafar said to allow travellers to check if they are blacklisted, three kiosks have been installed at the KL International Airport (KLIA).

“More than 700,000 Malaysians are on the blacklist,” he said at the launch of the kiosks yesterday.

“With these kiosks, we are offering a public service so that they can verify their status before going to the passport counter,” he added.

The department hopes to have more of such kiosks at other international airports in Malaysia.

Mustafar said the kiosks were offered via a publicprivate partnership with Datasonic which has provided the system for the Immigration Department.

It was recently reported that collectively the loan defaulters owed the PTPTN RM11.6 billion.

On Nov 14, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh revealed that a total of 410,500 PTPTN borrowers had not paid a single sen of what they owed even after they had started working.

PTPTN borrowers have to start servicing their loans six months after graduation.

Under the terms of the loan, payment must start irrespective of whether the graduate is gainfully employed or not.

As an incentive to spur repayments, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak while tabling the Budget last month had announced that a 20% discount would be given to PTPTN debtors who settled their loans by December next year.