MCA on PSD scholarship debacle: Uphold meritocracy when reviewing selection criteria

MCA is disappointed with calls by a Malay NGO which hurled criticisms against our party’s President Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat’s statement which suggested that the government will review the selection criteria of Public Service Department scholarship awards.

When Malaysians who achieve straight-A results and are active in co-curricular activities but are denied scholarships despite fulfilling more than the minimum criteria, they become disillusioned that their hard work and efforts were in vain. By rewarding less-qualified students with scholarships to study overseas, hardworking performing students are given a wrong message that ethnicity may have been the overall deciding factor in determining the distribution of PSD scholarships.

In pursuit of the 1-Malaysia concept as mooted by the Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak which speaks of treating all Malaysians equally irrespective of race, priority for the PSD scholarships must be offered based on meritocracy, and more so for students from underprivileged backgrounds who had achieved academic excellence. It is paramount that meritocracy be always upheld when bestowing scholarship so as to harness productive Malaysians who will always aspire to aim higher and be progressive.

It was a cabinet decision that the selection criteria be based on meritocracy (20%), Bumiputera and non-Bumiputeras SPM holders (60%), Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera SPM holders and disabled students who excelled in their studies (20%). Reviewing the PSD selection is not a zero sum game. The review does not affect nor impede Bumiputeras in any way.

Moreover, Bumiputera students have access to other forms of scholarships and loans like those awarded by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) which majority of non-Bumiputera students do not. In fact, 90 percent of student intake to pursue Matriculations courses conducted by MARA consists of Bumiputeras. Apart from enrolments accepted into Universiti Institut Teknologi MARA which consists overwhelmingly of Bumiputeras, many benefactors of MARA scholarship and loans are also sent abroad for tertiary education – an opportunity which most non-Bumiputeras do not enjoy.

MCA is disappointed by accusations from a certain Malay NGO that the government had “banyak bertolak ansur” (compromised many times) with the Chinese, Indians and others. We regret the statement by the chairman of the said Malay NGO who warned that they too would “mula turun ke jalan raya” (take to the streets) as such remarks are seditious and stirs race-hate. His statement served no purpose in bridging stained race relations nor propelling Malaysians to aspire for academic excellence through personal effort.