KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — Salary deduction on borrowers of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) whose salaries reached RM2,000 a month, will be effective from January next year, said Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

He said also implemented in January is the exemption to repay PTPTN loan for borrowers from the middle 40 per cent income group (M40) for those who obtained first class honours degrees.

He said the deduction of two per cent or RM40 for borrowers whose salaries were at RM2,000 was decided by the Cabinet at a meeting on Nov 23.

“What we can do at this time is to place RM2,000 as a threshold for the start of repayment and then increase based on the borrower’s income.

“The Cabinet also agreed to exempt loan repayments for those who received a first class honours degree from the M40 group. The original proposal was only for those from the B40 (bottom 40 percent ) income group,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

On the Pakatan Harapan’s pledge declared in its manifesto that it would make it compulsory for borrowers earning RM4,000 to repay their loan, he said the government would try its best to fulfill it when the country’s financial situation has stabilised. — Bernama