Exempting disabled people from repaying study loans

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is planning to bring the issue of exemption of repayment of study loan for borrowers who are categorised as persons with disabilities (OKU) due to accidents to the attention of the National Council for OKU.

Its deputy minister, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said it was hoped that the issue would be scrutinised by the Council's Education Committee.

She said the committee, which was headed by the Education Ministry and comprised members of various government agencies and non-government organisations (NGO) representing the interests of the OKU, could discuss the issue in detail.

"This includes taking into account issues related to legal implications, finance and the implementation mechanism," she said in reply to Seah Leong Peng (DAP-Telok Intan) at the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Wednesday.

Azizah said, in general, agencies providing study loans did not have any cooperation or specific policy to exempt repayment on the factor of being an OKU, except the Public Service Department (PSD).

She said PSD would also exempt a borrower, including those under the OKU category, from repaying the study loan if he or she was diagnosed with permanent illness, which renders them incapable of working.