Umno Youth objects to listing PTPTN loan defaulters in credit bureau database (UPDATED)

Cabinet rejects proposal to blacklist student loan defaulters

t's a "no go" for the proposal to link the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans to Bank Negara’s credit bureau database.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin in a tweet said the Cabinet had rejected the proposal during its meeting this morning.

“Just completed Cabinet meeting. PTPTN would not go ahead with the proposal to list its student loan defaulters under CCRIS.

"Thank you prime minister and education minister for listening to the youth,” he said on Twitter

The proposal by PTPTN to link its defaulters to the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS), which was announced by Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh two days ago, was met by an uproar by lawmakers, non-governmental organisations, student activists and even from Khairy himself.

Khairy had said youths are required to take student loans because the government does not provide free education at higher learning institutions.

He said such loans were also different from other credit card or higher purchase loans, where those were by choice, but this was a necessary loan for them to obtain qualifications for their career development.

PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli had also hit out at the move, saying that such action was a form of threat and punishment to the students as they would have problems getting hire purchase loans later on while Perkasa’s secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said it was a persecution of Bumiputera youths as most of these loan holders are Bumiputeras.

Student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that university students were contemplating holding a protest if the proposal went through.

PTPTN has approved education loans to 2.2 million students since July 1, 1997, which amounted to RM49.9 billion. – August 21, 2013.

Umno Youth objects to listing PTPTN loan defaulters in credit bureau database

Umno Youth has hit out at the government’s move to blacklist National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan defaulters by listing them in the Bank Negara’s credit bureau database.

Its chief Khairy Jamaluddinn said this was because PTPTN loans were different from other loans such as credit card or higher purchase loans.

“PTPTN loan is a personal choice which is necessary because the government does not provide free education at higher learning institutions and the need to obtain a diploma or a degree is important for the youths’ career and intellectual development,” said Khairy in a statement today.

“The government should use the available mechanism to collect payments from defaulters who refuse to repay their loans. They should instead focus on repayment incentives and impose interests on the loan holders based on their current situation.”

At the same time, he said these loan defaulters consists of a small group and such act to blacklist them would give a negative impression to PTPTN’s policy to ensure the younger generations receive the education they deserve.

Khairy said this in response to Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh’s announcement on PTPTN’s move to list loan defaulters in the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS), a computerised database system used by banks to access prospective borrower’s financial profile.

The move has also received a backlash from opposition lawmakers and non-governmental organisations.

PKR said such a move was a form of threat and punishment to the students as they would have problems getting hire purchase, while Perkasa’s secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said it was a persecution of Bumiputera youths as most of these loan holders are Bumiputeras.

Following the criticism, Idris told The Malaysian Insider that the ministry would still need to work out the implementation and would heed views from all parties to ensure no students would be “victimised” or let down by the programme.

PTPTN has  approved loan education to 2.2 million students since July 1, 1997 until June 30 this year, which amounted to a total of RM49.9 billion. – August 20, 2013.

Source: Malaysian Insider

Isu PTPTN: Cadangan tidak praktikal

SHAH ALAM - Kerajaan perlu membuat kajian dan pertimbangan secara menyeluruh sebelum melaksanakan cadangan menyenaraikan peminjam  PTPTN yang ingkar di bawah CCRIS.

Exco Pemuda Umno, Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan berkata, cadangan itu tidak praktikal tetapi mungkin sesuai kepada peminjam tegar yang degil dan tidak mahu membayar pinjaman walaupun mempunyai pekerjaan dan pendapatan yang tetap.

"Tindakan itu mungkin tidak adil terhadap pemimpin yang mempunyai masalah seperti tidak mempunyai pekerjaan dan pendapatan yang tetap kerana mereka berhadapan kesukaran membayar balik pinjaman berkenaan.

"Sudah tentu akan mewujudkan masalah baru kepada golongan ini.  Sudahlah tidak mempunyai pekerjaan dan pendapatan tetap, nama pula disenarai hitam. Mereka akhirnya akan memusuhi kerajaan pula," kata beliau, semalam.

Sohaimi turut mencadangkan agar kerajaan mewujudkan satu agensi seperti mana Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) yang menyediakan perkhidmatan kaunseling kewangan dan program pengurusan kredit kepada mana-mana peminjam PTPTN yang bermasalah.

"Peminjam juga mempunyai pilihan membuat penjadualan atau penstrukturan semula pinjaman mereka tertakluk syarat yang ditetapkan PTPTN," katanya.

Beliau berkata, PTPTN juga boleh bekerjasama dengan majikan peminjam terbabit untuk membuat potongan gaji secara bulanan atau arahan tetap (SI) bank dengan jumlah yang termampu oleh peminjam.

"Dengan cara ini, sudah tentu tidak akan membebankan kerana barangkali ada segelintir peminjam itu yang menghadapi masalah kewangan yang teruk," katanya

Katanya, isu pinjaman pendidikan merupakan satu keperluan dan ketika ini pelajar yang mahu melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat tertinggi tidak mempunyai pilihan lain selain daripada meminjam dengan PTPTN.

"Oleh demikian, kerajaan disarankan mewujudkan skim pinjaman pendidikan lain bagi memudahkan mereka membuat pinjaman dan membayar semula selepas tamat pengajian kelak," katanya.

Sohaimi berkata, isu pinjaman PTPTN ini menjadi duri dalam daging kepada kerajaan kerana pembangkang dalam manifesto pilihan raya umum yang lepas berjanji untuk memansuhkan pinjaman ini.

"Sudah tentu akan menjejaskan kerajaan BN pada pilihan raya umum akan datang sekiranya tidak ditangani dengan baik. Kerajaan tidak boleh membuat pendekatan menghukum dan perlu lebih bijaksana dalam menghadapi isu ini agar tidak dimanipulasi oleh pembangkang," katanya.

Sumber : Sinar Harian