Identify those who really cannot afford to repay, PTPTN told

Debt relief for struggling PTPTN borrowers is a topic of discussion among Malaysian education experts. PKR Youth chief Kamil Munim has advocated for the government to differentiate between those who wilfully default on their National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans and those who genuinely cannot repay due to financial constraints.

Education expert Noor Azlan Ahmad Zanzali of Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia emphasized the need to identify each borrower group's financial circumstances to determine eligibility for debt forgiveness. He argued that some defaulters want to repay but cannot secure jobs matching their qualifications. Affendi @ Ewan Matore of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia suggested that eligibility for debt relief should be based on a clear definition of criteria, including eligibility beyond income declarations.

He proposed considering net income data, household commitments, and tax profiles to ensure assistance is not provided indiscriminately. The experts stressed the importance of refining the targeted approach to resolve the issue of PTPTN defaulters, taking into account the varying financial situations of borrowers.