ISSUES surrounding the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) will be discussed at the Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting, said Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, after the new government was accused of breaking election promise on delaying loan repayments.

The health minister, who was part of the team which drafted the PH manifesto ahead of the 14th general election, said the issue would be brought up at today’s meeting.

“I am one of the individuals who was responsible for drafting the manifesto. I know this matter needs to be looked into. 

“There is a difference in implementation. We will bring it up with PH leaders in this evening’s meeting,” Dzulkefly told reporters in Shah Alam today.

The Amanah strategic director stressed that even though there were discrepancies between the PH manifesto and yesterday’s budget announcement, the end goal was to help PTPTN borrowers.

The government yesterday announced that borrowers can repay their PTPTN loans through scheduled deductions of between 2% and 15% from their monthly income if they earn more than RM1,000 a month, starting next year.

Umno’s information chief Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, who was the former PTPTN chief, said the scheduled deductions was a mask for the government to make borrowers pay a mandatory monthly repayment.

This was proposed during the Barisan Nasional administration but was shot down. Former prime minister Najib Razak had then said the government would allow borrowers leeway until their salary touched RM4,000.

However, the announcement yesterday had PTPTN borrowers up in arms over the unfair terms of repayment. – November 3, 2018.