Penang Institute in KL, is proud to bring you a seminar entitled Sustainability of the PTPTN Loan Scheme. You are cordially invited to attend this seminar as scheduled below:-
Date : 19 December 2016 (Monday)
Time : 8.30pm – 10.30pm (Registration starts at 8.00pm)
Venue : KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), Jalan Maharaja Lela.
Presenter: Dr. Ong Kian Ming (Penang Institute).
Panelists: YB Nik Nazmi (EXCO Selangor), Anis Syafiqah Mohd Yusof (Spokesperson Tangkap MO1), Jean Vaneisha (Secretary General, Team Challenger).
Moderator: Edry Faizal (Coordinator/ Penyelaras Sekolah Demokrasi)
DESCRIPTION
The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (NHEFC) or PTPTN, as it is more popularly known, has provided access to funding for course fees to over 2 million students from both public and private higher education institutions since it was established in 1997. It is an important part of Malaysia’s higher education landscape and its financial viability is likely to affect hundreds of thousands of students now and also in the future.
In recent years, PTPTN has come under media spotlight for borrowers’ low repayment rates. These created significant financial pressures for the corporation and in 2014, PTPTN authorities took action by reducing the maximum loan amount to public university students by 5% and to private university students by 15%. Some defaulters were even blacklisted and issued travel bans, preventing them from leaving the country. At the same time, PTPTN introduced several remedial steps to improve its financial position. But whether these measures will yield significant positive results remains uncertain.
Penang Institute in Kuala Lumpur has prepared a comprehensive report which examines the financial position of PTPTN and tries to project the possible impact on government finances should the situation fail to improve over the next decade. The report also proposes solutions to these problems while considering the various challenges associated with PTPTN.
The report’s contents will be disclosed and discussed by forum panelists, which include YB Nik Nazmi, Selangor EXCO in charge of the education portfolio, Jean Vaneisha, the Secretary General of Challenger, a youth lobbyist group that champions youth and national issues, and Anis Syafiqah Mohd Yusof, student activist and spokesperson for the Tangkap Malaysian Official One coalition.
It is hoped that the forum will serve as platform for the public to share constructive views and propose practical solutions, not just for the PTPTN loan scheme but also for policies pertaining to the higher education sector in Malaysia as a whole.
FREE ADMISSION! Due to limited seats, registration is encouraged. Kindly register your interest at this link.