KUALA LUMPUR: The announcement of an increase in the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans for the M40 (M1) group today is expected to benefit a total of 64,301 students of public institutions of higher learning (IPTA).

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said the increase, which involves financial implications of RM183.5 million for a period of one year, is one of the government's initiatives to ease the burden on students at the institutions of higher learning (IPT), especially from the M40 group.

"We are concerned to hear the voices of students, especially from the M40 family who are requesting that we consider them (to be given an increase in loan rates)," she said when met by Bernama after attending the opening of the Semarak Patriotik IPT here today.

At the event, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the increase in the PTPTN loan to the M40 (M1) group, from 75 to 100 per cent.

The Prime Minister also announced that the government has agreed to provide a laptop loan facility to PTPTN borrowers in the M40 group, as one of the government's efforts to safeguard the interests of Keluarga Malaysia students.

Commenting further, Noraini said the laptop loan facility for PTPTN borrowers will benefit a total of 33,837 IPTA students with a financial implication of RM101.5 million for a year.

Regarding today's programme, the event has entered the Malaysia Book of Records by recording the largest number of participants to recite the Rukun Negara pledge involving a total of 112,413 IPT students across the country in a hybrid manner.

The event which took place at the Pavilion Stadium, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), also witnessed the involvement of all public universities nationwide, polytechnics, community colleges and several private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) from around the Klang Valley.

-- BERNAMA