PUTRAJAYA, April 13 — Some 1.3 million borrowers of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) have actively make repayments for their loans, involving a collection of RM10.9 billion, its deputy chief executive Mastura Mohd Khalid said today.

She said there was still RM7.9 billion to be collected from about 600,000 borrowers who had yet to make their repayments.

A total of 42,084 borrowers, involving loans of RM1.25 billion, had been exempted from repaying their loans as they graduated First Class honours, she told a media conference after a round-table discussion between PTPTN and the National Council of Professors (MPN) here today.

The discussion on sustaining higher education financing, involving 25 academicians from various institutions, was chaired by MPN chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Raduan Che Rose.

Meanwhile, Raduan said MPN would study the policy on the exemption of loan repayment for PTPTN borrowers who graduated with First Class honours as the standard was not the same at all institutions of higher learning.

Currently, the exemption was given based only on the borrowers academic performance, he said, adding that there was a need to also consider the borrowers’ involvement in extra curricular activities. — Bernama