KUALA LUMPUR — Graduates earning between RM2,501 and RM3,000 a month will only need to repay their National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans at a minimum rate of RM50 per month, with the flexibility announced in Budget 2027. 

Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim said the loan repayment flexibility initiative is expected to benefit more than 400,000 people, helping to ease the financial burden on graduates who have just entered the workforce. 

He said graduates earning below RM2,500 a month would not need to begin repaying their loans until they reached the stipulated income threshold. 

“We can address this concern in the most effective way possible for now. 

“This is something that has been discussed and debated for years, and now, insya-Allah, we can implement it through Budget 2027,” he said in an interview with a local radio station recently. 

Commenting on the cost of living among university students, Adam Adli said the Dapur Siswa Madani initiative, which provides centralised cooking facilities on campuses, would be expanded to polytechnics and teacher education institutes (IPGs) next year. 

He said an allocation of RM20 million has been provided to supply food items and necessities, including rice, cooking oil, eggs and sardines, to the kitchens. 

“Students can use the supplies to cook for themselves or in groups, with planning carried out together with student associations or kitchen managers to help control food expenses,” he said.