Media statement by Lau Weng San in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 25^th November 2010:

MCA should reveal how many study loans were offered to Chinese applicants in states run by BN

It is quite disturbing to read statement from several MCA leaders attacking Selangor State Government by implying that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-led state government only approves 12 Chinese applicants for study loan, when MCA leaders are not prepared to reveal how many study loans were offered to Chinese in states ruled by Barisan Nasional (BN).

In fact, I was the first assemblyman who helped promoting the study loan scheme offered by the state government as early as in August 2010. All elected representatives in Selangor received letters and brochures from the state government requesting helps from elected representatives to promote such scheme and to recommend suitable students to apply for the study loan irregardless of race and religion.

This prompted me to request for more details about the almost-interest-free study loan in August 2010. I also called a press conference to promote the study loan, which is opened to applicants from all races provided that the applicants must be born in Selangor.

It is clear that lately, some MCA leaders are playing racist politics by blaming the Selangor state government for not helping Chinese when there are only 12 successful Chinese applicants.

Selangor government EXCO Teresa Kok had clarified that while it is true that there are only 12 successful Chinese applicants, but the hard fact that MCA leaders choose to ignore is that there are only 12 Chinese students who applied for the study loan!

In fact, each state government in Malaysia does offer study loans to deserving and qualified students from their state to pursue tertiary education. However, Selangor State government study loan is probably the first study loan offered by any state government in Malaysia to accept application from Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders of whom majority of them are non-Malay.

I urge MCA leaders like Ti Lian Ker and Wee Ka Siong to reveal how many Chinese students have benefitted from the Pahang and Johore State Government study loan in 2009 and 2010.

* Lau Weng San, SA for Kampung Tunku