KUALA LUMPUR, 16 June 2009: The number of non-bumiputera students offered the Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships has increased significantly compared with 2000, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Statistics by PSD showed that 924 non-bumiputera students were among the 2,100 students offered the scholarship to pursue overseas studies this year, compared with only 150 from 748 students in 2000.
Last year, 900 non-bumiputera students were offered the scholarships out of the total 2,000 students.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, in response to a question by Tan Ah Eng (Barisan Nasional-Gelang Patah), said the government introduced a policy this year to address the imbalance in the award of scholarships between bumiputera and non-bumiputera students.
From 14 Jan this year, the awarding criteria for the Overseas Degree Programme are divided into four categories: academic excellence, racial population ratio, Sabah and Sarawakian bumiputera and the socially disadvantaged students from rural areas with limited facilities and from low-income families.
He also said that the academic excellence considered for PSD scholarships was based on nine subjects chosen by the students which were relevant to the degree of their choice.
“This limit is set to ensure all students are on an equal playing field because not all schools have the same facilities and teaching [staff] and allow their students to sit for more than nine subjects,” he added.
He slammed Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) for claiming that there was victimisation in the award of PSD scholarships and told the house that the scholarships were offered to students based on merit, instead of the race, religion or language of the applicants. — Bernama
Hong says
To say that now we have a higher proportion of non-bumiputera students who get overseas scholarships compared to nine years ago is very much like a slave owner saying, “Now we use fewer slaves in the fields!” The problem is with the system itself, not the degree to to which it is enforced. The fact that every year we still get hundreds of top students who are denied an opportunity to study at the institution of their choice is evidence that PSD scholarships are still not awarded according to merit.
ahoo says
We do not want figures alone. Please look at the other side of the coin. Those who are qualified must be given a place in local universities if their families cannot afford to send them overseas. Don’t continue to harp on figures as these are just numbers and can be easily manipulated.
Vejay says
Why sandiwara giving out figures? Post the names of all receivers online for verification. Why only talk about overseas scholarships? What about Mara scholarships? Where is the count? Bear in mind that every citizen pays tax. For that matter all must be equally treated not on racial population ratio.
CONCERNED PERAKIAN says
Please publish the names of successful applicants and the courses offered to them to enable the public to judge for themselves whether what the minister said is the truth or half-truth.
siew eng says
Here’s a crying need for a Right to Information law. Selangor is making serious efforts to realising such a law. Penang is saying it will. Kelantan – whither or withered? And when Perak recovers from the current crisis, whichever government in charge had better make this as part of the reform agenda.
The rest of the nation, make it a GE13 election agenda.