Kuala lumpur: A total of 64,618 borrowers from families earning more than RM8,000 a month have RM257.56 million in outstanding National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans as of Oct 31, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud highlighted that 196,115 borrowers from families who are not recipients of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) with monthly incomes not exceeding RM8,000 have outstanding loans amounting to RM539.35 million. He further mentioned that 967,796 borrowers from STR families recorded outstanding loans totalling RM10.23 billion.

Mustapha also noted that 911,788 PTPTN borrowers from STR families had settled repayments totalling RM13.89 billion. Additionally, 58,921 borrowers from non-STR recipient families with monthly incomes not exceeding RM8,000 had repaid loans totalling RM703.45 million, while 136,196 borrowers from families earning more than RM8,000 per month had settled RM1.54 billion in repayments.

Among borrowers who consistently repaid according to schedule, 450,522 were from STR families with loans totalling RM4.17 billion. Furthermore, 131,396 borrowers from non-STR recipient families earning no more than RM8,000 per month had loans totalling RM697.79 million. In addition, 35,324 borrowers from families with monthly earnings exceeding RM8,000 have loans totalling RM362.36 million.

Addressing a supplementary question from Tan regarding the PTPTN repayment exemption mechanism for first-class graduates from private higher education institutions (IPTS), Mustapha stated that the ministry is prepared to review the mechanism. He explained that the exemption policy currently only covers B40 and M40 graduates from public higher education institutions (IPTA) to ensure the assistance is more targeted, though there is merit in reviewing the IPTS aspect.