Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) will not force jobless borrowers to pay loans.

"The government tries very hard to help students get financial aid and will help them land jobs," he said in reply to a question by Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PKR-Machang) who asked about the government stand on jobless PTPTN borrowers.

Saifuddin told Dewan Rakyat here today that the government will help borrowers blacklisted BY PTPTN to pursue studies abroad if they receive offers.

To a question by Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau), he said the government did not plan to amend the PTPTN policy to lend for professional degree courses offered by Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

    

He told Matulidi Jusoh (BN-Dungun) that public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) did not offer free tuition fees for masters degree and PhD.

However, the government is offering sponsorship to selected IPTA and IPTS students pursuing master's degree and PhD under the MyBrain15 programme (Tenth Malaysia Plan) with maximum RM10,000 for masters and RM24,000 for PhD.

"The programme is open to graduates who are not working, with no fixed salary, private sector employees and IPTS lecturers," he added.

As at Nov 17, 5,481 people have been picked for the MyBrain15 programme  for masters degree and 1,201 for PhD in science and technology, science, social science and arts.

- Bernama