KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 97,866 out of 197,348 active loan borrowers or 49 per cent of them have been blacklisted by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) for failing to make loan repayments.
Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang told the Dewan Rakyat that the blacklisting measure was implemented by Mara to strengthen the loan repayment process among its borrowers.
"The blacklist is only applicable within Mara's management and does not involve other agencies or ecosystems," she said during the minister's question time in Dewan Rakyat today.
Rubiah said this in response to Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) regarding the latest number of Mara-sponsored students in the country and abroad, as well as the percentage of loan repayments received.
Meanwhile, she added that negotiations for children whose parents are blacklisted could still be carried out.
The main requirement is that loan repayments must be made, regardless of the amount, she said.
"Negotiations are still possible for children or students looking to apply for Mara loans, even if their parents are on the blacklist.
"The main requirement is that payments must be made, which means that the amount owed can be reduced and instalments can be lowered to ensure that student loans are approved.
"It is not necessary for parents to pay the full amount. Settling just the arrears will suffice."
Rubiah said there are no students exempted from loan repayments under Mara, adding that the repayment amounts can be reduced based on the students' cumulative grade point average (CGPA) results.
"Under the Mara loan scheme, there are no students exempted from repayment and there is no concept of scholarships.
"However, the repayment amounts can be reduced based on the CGPA results achieved, with some repaying only 50 per cent, 30 per cent, or even 10 per cent at the minimum.
"There is no scenario where 100 per cent of the loan is waived, as our concept is that it is a loan," she said in response to a supplementary question from Abdul Latif Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) regarding the total number of students who do not have to repay their loans.