NATIONAL Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan today hit out at errant borrowers for depriving others of the student loan.

He said some borrowers applied to postpone repayments because they wanted to pay off their car loans instead.

Describing this as an “unreasonable” excuse, he said if borrowers could afford to pay their car instalments, they could definitely settle their PTPTN debts from as low as RM90 a month.

“There are many appeals. If they cannot pay off (their PTPTN loans) because they are not yet working or their parents are sick, we can take that into consideration. But if it’s because they want to get a car, that is not fair,” he told a press conference at Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok.

He said the situation reflects a selfish culture among PTPTN borrowers, who do not know how to prioritise.

“This concerns attitude. What is their priority? They have benefited from PTPTN, completed their studies and secured jobs. They should settle their debts so that others can also enjoy the student loan.”

Wan Saiful said borrowers earning more than RM1,000 a month who foresee problems making repayments via salary deductions of between 2% and 15% can submit appeals to PTPTN.

He said the scheduled salary deductions will be implemented in the first quarter of next year, and briefing sessions on the move will be held nationwide until the end of this year.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, when tabling Budget 2019 in Parliament on Friday, proposed the introduction of a progressive loan repayment schedule. – Bernama, November 4, 2018.