KUCHING: Debt is debt. It needs to be paid back, said Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Mohd Fadzil Abd Rahman (pic).
According to Mohd Fadzil, borrowers of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) who have yet to pay back their loan are in a way depriving others the opportunity to get the study loan offered by the government.
He added that he fully supported the proposed reintroduction of the travel ban on PTPTN loan defaulters instead of the ban on the renewal of driving licence and road tax.
PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan had said that the fund could reintroduce the travel ban, which was lifted on tens of thousands of loan defaulters as part of Pakatan Harapan (PH)’s manifesto.
It rests on the responsibility and attitude of the borrowers, said Mohd Fadzil, adding that there are students who take it for granted because it is a loan from the government and not from the bank.
Some took the PTPTN loan but chose not to pay back just to test the waters even though they already have a steady job.
Mohd Fadzil also emphasised that should not be the case as the money they borrowed belonged to tax payers.
It is not a wise move to ban loan defaulters from renewing their driving licence and road tax because they need to commute to their workplace.
Without their driving licence and road tax, it would further add the burden on them. They need to work to earn money and pay back their loans. Stopping them from renewing their driving licence and road tax makes no sense.
Stopping people from travelling however does make sense because if they can afford to travel overseas, then they have the money and should be able to pay back their loan, said the deputy vice chancellor, adding that there are exceptions whereby people would need to travel for certain reasons.
He suggested that PTPTN and the government find appropriate ways to encourage borrowers to pay back their loans like salary deduction for borrowers who have secured a job and the repayment amount should be reasonable.
Meanwhile, PTPTN and the government should also be more tolerant with borrowers who have yet to secure a job as well as those who are earning less than enough.
Mohd Fadzil opined that the issue should not be politically motivated as it would incite complaints and demands from the people. He explained that there are politicians who are not genuinely fighting for the borrowers’ cause but are doing so to gain political mileage.
Political parties and politicians should not make promises in their election manifesto which they would not be able to fulfil later.