JOHOR BARU: The Higher Education Ministry is confident that more university students, who took the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) study loans, will repay their loans this year.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said this was because PTPTN had managed to collect about RM3.4 billion in loan repayments last year, surpassing the RM2 billion target.
"We are expecting the loan repayment to reach RM4 billion this year," he said, adding that PTPTN has helped 200,000 students pursue their higher education.
Idris said this after closing the Majlis Kongress Duta Jauhar 3.0 at UniKL in Bandar Seri Alam here today.
It was reported that more than half of the 586,863 of the PTPTN borrowers, who are in the Immigration Department blacklist and barred from leaving the country, have come forward to negotiate their repayments.
As a result, RM967.9 million in loan repayment had been collected from them as of last January 31.
On a separate matter, Idris said the ministry is keeping a close watch on the activities of university students after three Universiti Putra Malaysia students were arrested for drug possession in Serdang on Friday.
"The three students have been suspended pending investigation. We will not compromise with any students who are involved with drugs." he said.