New "Category" of PSD Scholarships?

Starting 2010, SPM students will only be able to register for a maximum of 10 subjects. The implementation of this policy will coincide with the new form of PSD scholarships, Najib said.

This new "category" of scholarships will be given based on 100% Merit, without the Racial quota.

However, it was not revealed on how many scholarships are available.

I hope this "new" scholarships would Not become an excuse for PSD to slash non Bumiputera applicants in other forms of scholarships. MARA provides hundreds of oversea scholarships to bumiputera only each year, while PSD scholarships are still awarded to students mainly based on racial status, and some other unclear/poorly defined criteria.

Limiting the number of subjects a student can register in SPM will surely decrease the competition among SPM students. Imagine nowadays PSD claimed that students scoring 16As were left out because of limited scholarships available, and what will happen next year when hundreds and thousands of students scoring 10As? Can this policy solve the problem in the first place? Unless government's intention is to prevent a certain group of students from scoring more A's than another group of students, or else this measure is totally unnecessary and anti competitive.

What would happen when all intelligent students who should have gotten 11 As or more, are now able to score only 10A's? Of course the value of 10A's will be as cheap as the value of getting 8A's in PMR. That is when 10A's is no longer a parameter to distinguish smart ones from the average /mediocre students as many people will enjoy the same 'top grade'.

When this phenomenon takes place, government will now have all the reason to reject most of the 10A's scorers from getting the scholarships. Inequalities like the practice of favoritism and lack of transparency will eventually be 'legalised' by this policy as PSD can now choose whoever they want among all the top scorers/10A's scorers of the whole nation.

Will the "new category" of PSD scholarships help solving the root of the same old scholarships issues?

We shall wait and see.

Below is the extract from The Star, about the New PSD scholarships.

PUTRAJAYA: A new category of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships will be introduced next year based purely on merit, regardless of race.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was sure that such a category would be welcomed by all communities, including the Chinese.

“We are restudying the distribution of scholarships under the Public Service Department scheme to introduce a new category.

“We will announce it next year and with the plan to limit the Sijil Pelajaran Malay-sia to 10 subjects, we expect to see a more level playing field,” he said in his speech at a dinner organised by the MCA and the Associated Chinese Chamber of Com-merce and Industry Malaysia here yesterday.

Najib said this would allow Malay-sia’s best students to receive aid to pursue higher studies.

“So the best of the best and the creme de la creme will get aid for higher studies.

“I believe this will be accepted well and it will allow each individual a fair chance to realise his full potential,” he said, adding, however, that he was not “letting the cat out of the bag” just yet about the scheme.

Artistry: Najib (right) looking at a painting during a dinner function at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here last night. With him are MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (second from right) and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (third from right). — Bernama

Najib said that contrary to perception, not all Chinese were rich.

“Like all Malaysians, they also want to see their children have a good education and become successful. All this involves costs,” he said, adding that every race had its needs and if the Government could bring policies that were fair, the Chinese would continue to support the Barisan Nasional.

Najib said the Chinese were not against Malays succeeding or were opposed to efforts to help the bumiputras, but that they wanted policies which looked at the needs of all Malaysians fairly.

“And that’s why I included it in the 1Malaysia concept,” he said, adding that he would also look into MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s request for more government land to build Chinese vernacular schools.

Najib said that during his trip to China, the Chinese government had also promised to bring more investments to Malaysia.

“I’m told they are preparing a loan fund as a sign of their commitment to us. I believe there is an opportunity for China to help boost Malaysia’s economy in terms of development, which will include the banking sector as well,” he said.

“I have also looked into the needs of the local Chinese community when I introduced the 1Malaysia plan, which covers the needs of all regardless of colour, ethnicity and culture,” he added.

Ong said in his speech that the dinner was not just to celebrate the appointment of Najib as Prime Minister but to also show that the Chinese community would always be with the Government and his leadership as it strives to overcome the current economic problems.

C Guevara