The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) plans to stop giving expenses loans to students of higher education institutions.
Its chairman, Ismail Mohamed Said, said today the PTPTN board at its meeting on Oct 31 decided to reduce its increasing burden due to the large number of borrowers.
“However, loan financing for tuition fees will be given as usual,” he told reporters after presenting Welfare Services Department aid to the elderly and poor in Kuala Krau parliamentary constituency in Simpang Peragap, near Temerloh.
Ismail, who is also Member of Parliament for Kuala Krau, said that to date some 1.87 million students have borrowed from PTPTN involving an allocation of RM41.6 billion.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin described the proposal by the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to stop giving loans for expenses as “not proper”, stressing that those in the low-income group would need it.
He said the costs would be too high for students from poor families and those in the low-income group.
“PTPTN has not submitted its proposal yet but if it does so, the ministry would have to scrutinise the matter,” he said.
“I believe that there should be a loan especially to those from poor families,” he said after opening a volleyball championship organised by Vision Christian Fellowship JB, here.
– Bernama
Sashidaran Gunathevan
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