{
  "id": 1841740,
  "title": "How to abolish student loans",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/how-to-abolish-student-loans-1841740",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/08/19/how-to-abolish-student-loans"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pakatan Harapan's convention season saw a proposal by PKR Youth chief Kamil Munim to write off PTPTN debts for those in need. This could lead to abolishing student loans altogether. The plan involves three steps. First, stop issuing new debt and replace PTPTN loans with fixed grants. These grants could be vouchers for students to choose their preferred programs at any university. Public or private universities that offer premium programs could add to the voucher price, while others could provide basic programs at the voucher fee. Second, offer options to clear PTPTN loans for those who have outstanding balances. They could make regular, mandatory salary deductions, or clear their accounts. Third, finance the PTPTN grants. The government already spends less than one percent of its operational expenditure on PTPTN disbursements, and there are additional subsidies. This could happen as early as Budget 2027. PTPTN could administer the new system, continuing its Simpan SSPN (National Education Saving Scheme). With RM24 billion in deposits from millions of accounts, PTPTN could become a national higher education trust fund, funding the higher education ecosystem in line with its original mandate.",
  "summary": "The universal economic policies needed to win the next general election were aired at the Pakatan Harapan conventions over the weekend but meat on the bones is necessary now.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "How to abolish student loans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/how-to-abolish-student-loans",
        "published": "2026-08-19T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}