Yoursay: Penalties for PTPTN defaulters, not pampering

YOURSAY | 'Forget the silly travel bans, get them to pay back their study loans.'

Travel ban is betrayal’ - Exco tells Wan Saiful to rethink PTPTN chief post

Beeja: The youths are the future of our country, hence they must be taught the right values. Repaying debts and on time, as old-fashioned as it sounds, is an enduring characteristic of a dependable person. One must keep one's promises.

I cannot remember my parents or siblings ever not making good on their promise to pay back money we borrowed, be it from the family or friends. It's the way we were brought up.

I fail to appreciate Penang exco Dr Afif Bahardin's point of sacrificing moral principles at the altar of political expediency by saying that the proposed travel ban for National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan defaulters is a betrayal of Pakatan Harapan's struggle.

Harapan should declare that some parts of its election manifesto were simply flawed. Let's just correct them and move on, and not perpetuate the mistakes of the past.

Angry Citizen: Typically, if you owe money to the bank, you will need to pay it back and not ask for it to be waived.

The core purpose of the study loan from PTPTN is to support students that are unable to pursue education due to their economic conditions. The keyword here is 'loan'.

Malaysians have been spoiled by handouts and now the bill is the billions they owe. Pay it back, please. By not paying up, the fund's future will be in doubt. What about the funds needed for the coming generations?

Mano: Afif, please then suggest how best to recover the PTPTN loans. The funds have to be collected back so it can be disbursed for future applicants. So how is this going to be done?

Have we fallen into a trap of letting the youths think they can get away from it and have no responsibility towards the newer applicants?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr 2019: If PTPTN borrowers are banned from travelling, it is only fair if it is extended to the following categories – scholarship holders who refuse to return and serve their bond, company directors who have not paid fines to government bodies, individuals who have defaulted on loans to GLC banks, individuals who have not paid their assessment and quit rent, individuals who have not paid traffic summonses, and individuals who have not paid court-mandated payment, such as alimony.

Puzzling: Not all policies from the BN era are bad. Besides criticising, Afif could also offer some constructive proposals on how to collect back the loans given out to the ungrateful Malaysians who have institutionalised a culture of borrowing without repaying.

How long more do we want to pamper these people? Whether they are in the bottom 40 percent (B40) income group or not, surely they can start paying back some loan by instalments, however small these are. 

How can we have sympathy for such people who continue to pay nothing at all?

Politicians like Afif should not continue to pamper such human beings who are so selfish as to deprive more of deserving people of loans to further their studies. I support the proposal to reintroduce the travel ban.

Truthseeker: The defaulters cannot pay back the loan but can afford to travel? With this type of irresponsible youths – our future leaders – Malaysia has no future.

PTPTN did not propose reimposition of travel ban, explains Maszlee

Wira: As long as there is an earning threshold where PTPTN loan borrowers may begin to pay instalments, I'm in favour of a travel ban to recover the funds for the continued sustenance of such a scheme for the benefit of future generations.

Demi Rakyat: Anyone who has a job, should pay. Otherwise, sue and blacklist them, and of course, ban them from travelling. 

What's so special about these people who can pay but refuse to do so? They are traitors to the nation.

Just Sharing: PTPTN doesn’t have to resort to all those silly bans. Just implement the mandatory deductions from pay. But be reasonable with the deduction – an amount of five percent is very reasonable.

PTPTN chair: Personally, I’m also ‘uncomfortable’ with travel ban

Ferdtan: Forget about the pros and cons of a travel blacklist for those who default on their study loan repayments. 

Right or wrong, this belated debate is a moot point. It was stated in Harapan's election manifesto. Harapan won, so it has no option but to honour it, even if in hindsight it may prove better to collect debts. 

Thus, for PTPTN chairperson Wan Saiful Wan Jan to concede that the fund is even considering this travel ban proposal shows that keeping promises means nothing. 

As chairperson, Wan Saiful has failed. It looks like we cannot have an academician – no matter how intelligent he or she is in that domain – in charge of real-world entities. Same goes for Education Minister Maszlee Malik. They cannot seem to find real solutions to real problems.

Wan Saiful, in the commercial world, managers have to lay off employees during hard times. But effective managers have to trundle on with less staff by coming up with more innovative solutions to any problems that may arise to keep their companies running smoothly. 

Also, he says PTPTN was only gathering feedback on the proposals to be presented to the cabinet for a final decision. So the PTPTN chairperson is a postman? Collecting suggestions and then let the cabinet decide? 

If that is the case, then any Tom, Dick and Harry can take over his job. We need more creative able and effective managers who can provide solutions, not doing the same old, same old.

Clever Voter: The culture of not repaying government loans is widespread throughout the country. There seems to be a belief that so long as I am entitled to vote I can choose to ignore any need to repay. 

The entitlement mentality is entrenched, it is generational. Not easy to remove so long as this government is fickle and unsure. Populist policies ultimately will always be preferred.

Yoursay: Maszlee didn't start education rot, but isn't stopping it

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