In announcing the governments’ recalibrated Budget 2016 yesterday, the Prime Minister broke the hearts of 744 bursary recipients when he announced that these students will now have to study locally, in public or private institutions.
The first question that the government must answer is why must it deny all the recipients the promised oppourtunity to do their degrees at the world renowned universities? Why can’t the government allow at least 50 % of the students to realize their dreams of pursuing university education at world top universities?
In January last year, in announcing the revised Budget 2015 , the Prime Minister had announced a one year halt to the National Service Training programme and he said that the move would save the government RM 400 million.
If the Prime Minister has announced continued halt of the programme, at least 200 or more bursary recipients could be sent overseas.
So why target our bright students instead of the National Service programme?
A JPA overseas scholarship is the main avenue for many non bumiputra students to study at world renowned universities. While bumiputra students can still rely on Mara overseas scholarships, many non bumiputra students will now lose the oppourtunity of overseas education via government scholarships.
Minster in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Wee Ka Siong has said that sending all 744 recipients of the national bursary overseas would cost the government RM 1 billion.
Which is more important, Datuk Wee, sending our bright students to top universities to realize their full potential or continuing the National Service Training programme?
Undoubtedly, the government will have to come out with measures to cut expenditures amid falling oil revenues, but it should be reminded that education sector should be last target if there is no choice at all.
But the Prime Minister has yesterday targeted out bright talents instead of the national service Training programme.
I call on the Prime Minister to rethink his decision on the bursary recipients.