Kuala lumpur: Repaying debts, including education loans from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), is a religious obligation in Islam and should not be taken lightly. Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim, Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and a renowned preacher, emphasised that repaying debt is not merely a legal obligation but also a matter of trust and personal integrity.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Izhar Ariff stressed that Islam mandates the settlement of debts and encourages seeking solutions to do so. He highlighted that while borrowing for education is commendable, deliberately avoiding repayment and shirking responsibility is unacceptable. "Some pretend to forget or think the debt is no longer their concern once they finish their studies, even though they have signed an agreement to repay," he said in a recent interview.
He further explained that every PTPTN loan is intended to be recycled for future generations of students. Therefore, repaying the loan is not only an individual's responsibility to the institution but also a duty to society and the nation. "The government and PTPTN have helped us continue our education. Now, it's our turn to help future Malaysian generations by repaying what we have borrowed," he added.
Mohd Izhar Ariff also mentioned that borrowers should welcome PTPTN's loan restructuring initiatives, which are designed to ease repayment. He expressed gratitude to the government for introducing initiatives that allow loans to be restructured or rescheduled according to borrowers' ability to pay.
He explained that timely repayment aligns with the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, who encouraged prompt debt settlement. He noted that this blessing extends beyond the individual to their children, warning that unpaid debts might burden heirs with the responsibility of settling the outstanding balance.
Meanwhile, Syarah Sakinah Sudarma, 34, an administrative executive at a private company in Johor Bahru, stated that she restructured her loan to secure a lower monthly payment that suits her financial situation. "I restructured my loan earlier this year. It has helped me manage my monthly expenses more effectively," she said, adding that she took the PTPTN loan in 2011 while studying at Universiti Sains Malaysia.
She elaborated on the advantages of loan restructuring, such as lower monthly payments and a flexible repayment schedule, which enable her to manage her long-term finances more efficiently. She believes that repaying the PTPTN loan is a trust and an important responsibility to ensure the funds can help other students pursue their studies.
PTPTN encourages borrowers to negotiate and restructure their loans through more flexible repayment plans based on their financial ability, with no additional fees. Borrowers can download the myPTPTN app to simplify the loan restructuring application process, providing faster, easier, and more secure access.