Media Statement by Loke Siew Fook in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 13^th May 2009:

Mixed signals and constant confusion over awarding of PSD scholarships and entry to public universities - Where is the transparency and consistency?

Once again we’re seeing cases of outstanding students being given the cold shoulder over their Public Service Department (PSD) overseas scholarship applications. The latest episode involves more than 15 SPM top scorers who had their application rejected without any explanation whatsoever. Some of them were denied offers from public universities altogether.

No one, save for the bureaucrats in the PSD, knows why they have been rejected. Therefore, it is difficult for anyone, including the wakil rakyats whom the students complained to, to judge if their rejections were fair.

First of all, we do not know in detail how the scholarships are allocated. According to the announcement made by former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok in March 2009, 20% of the PSD overseas scholarships would be allocated to ‘excellent students’ of various backgrounds, 60% would be allocated to bumiputra and non-bumiputra students nationwide, 10% for Sabah and Sarawak bumiputra students, and another 10% for disabled students. This ‘methodology’ is extremely vauge at best. What exactly differentiates the first 20% from the 60%? Is the first 20% spread evenly among bumiputra and non-bumiputra students?

Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin clarified on May 10 that out of the 60%, 65% would be allocated to bumiputras while 35% would be allocated to non-bumiputras. However, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz reaffirmed in July last year that the PSD scholarship ratio of 55:45 for bumiputras and non-bumiputras would remain. Does this ratio apply to all scholarships or just to the aforementioned 60%. Isn’t this confusing and inconsistent enough?

Secondly, we need to know, criterion by criterion and step by step, how the recipients are selected. Every applicant, including the successful as well as unsuccessful ones, should be given a detailed report on why they are selected and vice versa.

The lack of transparency and the flood of confusion over this whole matter, from the methodology of scholarship allocation to the criteria for candidate selection, are most definitely the major causes to all these problems.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah just announced the Ministry’s intention to abolish the much-criticised quota system in local universities earlier this week. Then, we found out that several top students had been denied places in local universities.Shouldn’t this government practise what it preaches?

DAPSY urges the PSD to publish the detailed methodology of the overseas scholarship allocation and of the candidate selection process. All the relevant parties, including the PSD, the PM’s Department, and the MoHE, must explain and clarify every aspect of this issue once and for all.

The PSD must also clarify whether there is a shift of policy where the top scorers will not be given priority to go overseas as they want to keep the best students locally as many top scorers have complained that their peers who scored lower grades got the offer instead.

I would like to add that DAPSY welcomes Saifuddin’s proposal on the abolishment of the quota system and hopes to see it being implemented as soon as possible.

DAPSY also urges all relevant parties to uphold the principles of fairness and meritocracy in recognising the country’s talents regardless of ethnicity.

* Loke Siew Fook, DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) National Chairman & MP for Rasah