The public has requested that the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) sets up counters at airports in the country to help prevent borrowers being barred from leaving the country for unsettled loans.
PTPTN chief executive officer Wan Ahmad Wan Yusoff said the PTPTN counters would assist borrowers who discover that they have been barred from travelling abroad at the last minute.
“They want to be able to negotiate with PTPTN and make payments on the spot.
“PTPTN is seriously considering the suggestion, as it a step towards ensuring that borrowers make their repayments on time,” he said
However, he also noted that it is ultimately the borrower’s responsibility to maintain their loan payments.
“On our side, we need to consider all options that will enable us to collect loan payments so that other students can also borrow from PTPTN.
“PTPTN has loaned out approximately RM47 billion to 2.25 million students to date, disbursing about RM5 billion a year,” he told reporters after attending the National Conference on Lifelong Learning (LLL) 2016 today.
The conference was organised by the Ministry of Higher Education in collaboration with University of Malaya Centre for Continuing Education (UMCCed).
Wan Ahmad said PTPTN had started discussions with relevant authorities to get their consent on the suggestion.
He said there have been many cases where borrowers had their overseas travel plans ruined, as PTPTN notifies the Immigration Department to stop defaulters from leaving the country.
PTPTN borrowers are advised to check their account status online at least seven days before they travel abroad, during which they can settle matters with PTPTN should they find themselves on the PTPTN blacklist.