Kuala Lumpur: The government is not solely considering the reintroduction of travel restrictions to encourage more borrowers to repay their National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. Instead, he said the government will take a holistic approach in assessing factors influencing loan repayment collections, even though no decision has been made regarding the reintroduction of travel restrictions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Zambry emphasized, “We are not relying on that (travel restrictions) as the only method (to increase repayments). We need to look at the overall factors that can help us improve loan collection.” He highlighted alternative strategies such as conducting collection efforts, employing agents to inform borrowers, and sending reminder letters. Dr Zambry addressed these points while speaking to reporters after attending the Prime Minister’s Ihya’ Ramadan Programme with Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) staff.
He was responding to questions about whether the government is still considering reinstating overseas travel bans for PTPTN borrowers who fail to repay their loans. Meanwhile, Zambry stated that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed his hopes for MOHE to play a key role in driving major reforms in the country.
Dr Zambry elaborated that the Prime Minister conveyed this during a meeting with MOHE’s senior management, where discussions focused on governance improvements, reform initiatives, and the ministry’s key achievements. “He hopes that the ongoing transformation will have a significant impact — not just on the economy and development but also on human capital growth,” he added.
The Prime Minister met with MOHE officials before joining around 300 ministry staff for a Ramadan religious talk delivered by Associate Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim, Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The talk focused on the topic “Maqasid Al-Quran dan Masyarakat MADANI”. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud and MOHE secretary-general Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim were also in attendance.