Malaysian prime minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, announced the government’s decision to review loan rates and repayment terms for the National Higher Education Fund Corporation or PTPTN as debts begin to mount among the people.

Anwar disclosed that the outstanding debt of PTPTN’s borrowers who failed to repay their loans have reached a staggering RM40 billion and is set to keep increasing unless something is urgently done by the government.

Experts familiar with loan financing and educationists are of the view and opinion that the government must muster the courage as to raise the loan rate, the loan amount to be repaid could hit the RM50 billion level.

Anwar, while agreeing, contended that his aim was to help students who are financially needy and hoped parents who are rich would bear a greater share of the PTPTN burden in order to help the poorer students.

Aside from the issue of PTPTN which the government will resolve, Anwar stated that education was very important in cultivating core values such as freedom, peace and unity and not just for students to be knowledgeable and informed.

Anwar clarified that when he talked about being knowledgeable, whether in politics or economics, the fundamental and core values of freedom, justice and human dignity must be present and it should lean on values.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE