Prime Minister-Increase The PSD scholarships by another 20%!

However, we noted from public complaints and media reports that there are many top scorers with straight A1s were denied PSD scholarships again this year. Some of these top scorers were not even short-listed for interviews! The rejection of scholarships for these top scorers especially those from lower income families is most unfair and totally defeat the objectives of the Ninth Malaysian Plan to enhance human capital to create a knowledge-based society.

DAPSY is in the view that all top scorers especially the 945 students with straight 1As should be given full scholarships to pursue the best education from prestigious universities throughout the world. To ensure that none of the 945 top scorers are denied scholarships, DAPSY is calling on the government to increase the number by another 20% that is equivalent to another 260 scholarships for this year.

If the government can pay RM99 million in compensation to Gerbang Perdana for the scrapping of the “crooked-half bridge”, there is no reason that the government cannot afford to allocate another RM99 million to create another 260 scholarships for our best and brightest students.

DAPSY also call on the government to seriously address the problem of deserving top students not granted PSD scholarships which happened every year. A better and more transparent mechanism must be put in place for the processing of PSD scholarships to ensure fair-play and all deserving students are granted scholarships to further their studies.

The memorandum by DAPSY to the Prime Minister is as below:

24 May 2006

YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister’s Office
Perdana Putra Building
62502 PUTRAJAYA

YAB Dato’ Seri,

INCREASE PSD SCHOLARSHIPS BY 20% AND AUTOMATIC APPROVAL FOR ALL 945 TOP SPM SCORERS IN 2005.

The above matter referred.

2. The annual ritual of SPM top scorers crying foul through the media of not getting Public Services Department (PSD) scholarships has started. Every year without fail, at this period of the year when PSD announce the results of scholarships applications, there will be many disappointments especially among top scorers and high achievers who are denied scholarships to further their studies in prestigious foreign universities.

3. There is no exception this year. There are already many reports in the media of straight 1As students who were not only failed in their applications but they were not even considered to be interviewed by PSD officials. There is something very wrong in the system of scholarships processing in the country especially by PSD if top scorers are not even short-listed for interviews. According to PSD sources, there were 15,000 applicants for PSD scholarships (for overseas programme) this year and out of the total applications, 1,300 scholarships were granted to enable successful applicants to study in the various foreign universities designated by PSD. There were 945 top scorers in SPM 2005 that are those who scored straight 1As in all subjects they took. But unfortunately, many of these 945 top scorers failed to secure PSD scholarships although they already achieved maximum marks in their examinations.

4. The second thrust of the Ninth Malaysian Plan is to raise the capacity for knowledge and innovation and nurture “First Class Mentality”. In the spirit and along the objectives of the Ninth Malaysian Plan to enhance human capital, DAPSY would like to urge YAB Dato’ Seri to adopt the following 2 proposals:

a) Increase the number of PSD scholarships this year by another 20% that is another 260 scholarships from the current 1,300.

b) All the 945 straight 1As top scorers in SPM 2005 should be given PSD scholarships automatically.

5. The 20% increase in the number of PSD scholarships this year should first give priorities to all the straight 1As top scorers throughout the country. While there are no official data to show how many straight 1As students who were denied PSD scholarships, we believe the numbers are in the region of 150-200 students. The remaining scholarships should be given to the other straight As students with special circumstances especially those from the lower-income families.

6. Your due consideration into these proposals will be highly appreciated. The government must not send a wrong message to our best and brightest students that their academic talents are not appreciated in this country. The government must act firmly and fast in this matter to show its seriousness in enhancing and valuing human capital among Malaysians.

Thanking you in advance!

On behalf of DAPSY Malaysia,

…………………………………….

Loke Siew Fook
DAPSY National Secretary cum
NS State Assemblyman for Lobak