Youth activists pan govt's proposal to reinstate PTPTN travel ban

Summary

• Youth activists disapprove of the potential comeback of an overseas travel ban against PTPTN loan defaulters.

• Urging the government to come up with more compassionate and equity-focused approaches, the activists also slam Pakatan Harapan for supposedly going against its election promise.

Youth activists have taken Putrajaya to task over potential plans to reinstate a travel ban on National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan defaulters.

Asserting that a return of the movement restriction would merely “punish the vulnerable”, Liga Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya president Alyaah Hani cautioned that the ban would only add pressure on lower-income classes who relied on PTPTN loans to better their circumstances.

“Education should be a bridge to opportunity, not a trap that restricts mobility and deepens economic hardship,” she said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

“In today’s economic landscape marked by systemic corruption and financial hardships, punitive measures like travel bans do nothing but stifle the potential of our youth and ultimately cost the country more in lost economic opportunities.”

She argued that restoring the travel ban is a “regressive policy” akin to a misguided attempt at enforcing accountability while ignoring issues contributing to late payments, including high living costs, job market challenges and inefficiencies within the system itself.

The third-year law student highlighted how recommendations for stricter approaches to hold defaulters accountable often come from individuals with privileged backgrounds “detached from grassroots realities”.

“These voices fail to grasp that such measures disproportionately affect those who can least afford them.

“(The travel ban) punishes the lower class, undermines the transformative power of education and reflects a corporate mindset that is out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Malaysians,” Alyaah (above) added.

Reinstatement mulled

The overseas travel ban for PTPTN defaulters was lifted in 2018 during Pakatan Harapan’s first stint as government.

On March 11, Deputy Higher Education Minister Mustapha Sakmud said the government is considering reinstating the ban. Other suggestions, including alternative payment methods without the need for a travel ban, are also being studied.

As much as 13.55 percent, equivalent to 383,637 borrowers, have reportedly defaulted on their loans from PTPTN.

Advocacy group Himpunan Advokasi Rakyat Malaysia (Haram) president Brendon Gan emphasised that while many borrowers do not intend to disregard their debts, they are often forced to do so due to particulars beyond their control.

This, however, would go unnoticed by the potential ban, which fails to distinguish between deliberate defaulters and those in genuine hardship.

“A fair system would offer leniency to struggling borrowers while targeting enforcement against those who can pay but refuse to,” he said.

Gan, who is also the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Law Faculty Student Council president, advocated for PTPTN and the government to direct their efforts at formulating income-based repayment schemes and debt restructuring measures.

These initiatives, he told Malaysiakini, would align repayments with borrowers’ financial capacity and reduce evasion – without infringing on personal freedom.

As such, he urged the government to adopt a compassionate, equity-focused approach, including expanding affordable housing schemes, improving graduate employability and restructuring PTPTN loans to reflect economic realities.

Contradicting election promises

Haram chief media officer Yap Xiang pointed out that the travel ban contradicts the often-repeated promises made by Harapan and its predecessor Pakatan Rakyat.

“It is an insult to the students and graduates who voted for Harapan in hoping for a better Malaysia. The bar is already low, but this is actually very disappointing,” he said briefly.

In a statement, youth-based party Muda’s central executive committee member Zarul Afiq questioned the government’s plans to realise the free education ambition previously touted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“Current government leaders themselves had opposed (the travel ban) in the past. Some were even students’ heroes - where are their loud voices now?” he questioned.

“Debts must be paid, but a promise remains a promise.”

In 2013, the then Pakatan Rakyat coalition headed by Anwar promised to abolish PTPTN and introduce free higher education in its election manifesto.

The pledge was later revised at the next general election in 2018, during which Harapan promised to defer PTPTN repayments for those earning less than RM4,000.

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