SABAK BERNAM: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) aims to reduce its non-performing loans (NPL) to below 30 per cent this year, said its chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
To achieve this, he said MARA would adopt a more aggressive and uncompromising approach against defaulters, ensuring financial discipline within the agency, which plays a vital role in advancing the socio-economic development of the Bumiputera community.
“We have a clear plan for this year, and I have tasked MARA council members, including former Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Tan Sri Muhammad Ibrahim, with leading the investment committee to oversee financial discipline and governance.
“It is not impossible for us to uphold the same level of financial discipline as other institutions. This is not about making things difficult but about ensuring our name is not misused under the pretence of elevating the nation’s dignity while allowing irregularities and deviations,” he said.
He said this to reporters after visiting the MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) Sungai Besar in conjunction with the 2025 student registration session today.
Previously, Asyraf Wajdi reportedly said that the total NPL borne by MARA had reached 49.6 per cent, amounting to RM893 million, prompting the agency to take strict measures, including issuing summonses against defaulters.
Meanwhile, he said MARA is in discussions with Al-Azhar University in Egypt to negotiate tuition fee discounts for MARA-sponsored students pursuing medical studies.
He added that if successful, this initiative will help reduce student sponsorship costs and optimise MARA’s financial resources, especially as tuition fees for medical studies in Egypt continue to rise.
“We are now awaiting an official decision from them (Al-Azhar University) so that we have a solid justification for sending students there, especially since we have MRSM Ulul Albab which focuses on science.
Asyraf Wajdi also said that while the government previously offered sponsorships to universities in the Middle East, the initiative was halted in 2016 due to the Arab Spring.
“This proposal prioritises cost efficiency, and I have discussed it with Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Insya-Allah, a proposal paper will be finalised soon,” he said.
