BUSINESS

Asia's student-debt time bomb

Asia focus, M Niaz Asadullah and Theresa Chan, Published on 12/08/2019

» One of the most pressing issues facing the year-old government of Malaysia, led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, is the severely strained balance sheet it inherited. And part of its fiscal weakness is rooted in the 39 billion ringgit (US$9.5 billion) in outstanding debt owed to the National Higher Education Fund Corp (PTPTN).