Its minister, Maszlee Malik, said borrowers, regardless of the loans they took, were obliged to settle them.

“Whatever the manifesto says, the borrowers have to pay the loan.

“The opposition, they just want to politicise the issue. When you borrow money, you have to pay, even at RM10 a month,” he told reporters after a visit to Sekolah Kebangsaan Siputeh.

Also present was Kedah education director Abd Aziz Selaiman.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had three days ago expressed regrets with the untrustworthy attitude of PTPTN borrowers for defaulting on their loans, resulting in arrears in unpaid loans totalling RM36 billion.

According to Mahathir, the loan defaulters include those who already secured jobs.

PH, in its general election manifesto, stated that it would defer repayment of PTPTN loans for borrowers earning RM4,000 a month and below.

Meanwhile, PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the draft repayment method would be tabled to the Cabinet in two weeks time.

He said the PTPTN had the responsibility to assist borrowers to pay off their loans even if the amount of arrears was very high.

“I cannot disclose the content of the draft,” he said after visiting storm-hit Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Perlis here today.