Scholarships for Malaysians; its just impossible to please everybody

Scholarship is a most sensitive subject, especially when we have a multiracial country and multi language education system isn't it. I do not envy the JPA when it comes to approving scholarship applications based on various criteria, the Perlembagaan Article 153, now its minimum of 9As etc.

I do hope that the main objective of giving out Government JPA Scholarship that is to provide qualified poor students financial help where their parents cannot afford it is not forgotten in all these. A poor student who scores 4As in a rural school could be better than a student who scores 10As in a town school, I know this for a fact, I was a MARA scholarship holder. On top of that I agree that students who excel in sports and have leadership potential but scored less than 9As should also be given consideration, I happen to think that a Government Scholarship holder should be an all rounder who excels in studies,sports and some social activity this will make them an all round citizen or leaders for the future.

Here is good and hopeful news for scholarship applicants especially if they have scored 9As and above:

Sidelined top scorers can now apply for scholarships
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal July 11, 2010 (MI)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 —Students who have scored 9A+ in last year’s SPM examinations but failed to obtain PSD scholarships can now submit their application to the Public Services Department (PSD).

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that the government would ensure that all tops scorers in the country received scholarships to pursue their tertiary education.

“If the students have scored 9A+ but they have not received the scholarship offer they should come forward to the Public Services Department and they (PSD) will take it into account,” said Muhyiddin.

The Education Minister confirmed what Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had mentioned during the MIC annual general assembly yesterday.

Muhyiddin said that all students, regardless of race, would be able to obtain educational monetary support provided they fulfilled certain criteria.

“The statement from the Prime Minister yesterday is surely happy news to all parties. All 9A+ scorers will obtain scholarships regardless of race,” said the DPM.

But he did not elaborate on how the Najib administration would be able to sponsor all the high achievers in the country amid a recent announcement that Malaysia’s economic growth would be experiencing a slump in the near future.

“If it’s a policy announced by the Prime Minister, the government will see that it is executed. Why ask about the money?” quipped Muhyiddin.

Najib announced yesterday that the PSD scholarships are for students of all races who want to pursue higher studies in local or foreign institutions.

“Each student irrespective whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or others who obtain 9A+ (in their SPM results) qualify for the JPA scholarships, be it for studies locally or overseas,” said Najib.

The Prime Minister said this scholarship opportunity showed that the government was serious about bringing forth a transformation in line with the 1 Malaysia concept.

“This shows that 1 Malaysia is not only a slogan but is being practiced in Malaysia,” he said.

PERKASA has now made it its business to remind the Government of its duties to the Perlembagaan:

Malay groups insist on race ratios for Federal scholarships
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal July 11, 2010(MI)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — The Perkasa-led Malay Consultative Council (MPM) continued to peddle its pro-Malay agenda today by demanding the Najib administration’s new federal scholarship to be allocated according to the country’s racial breakdown.
MPM committee member Professor Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar said they welcomed Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s announcement that all students who scored 9A+ would obtain full PSD scholarships but there had to be “some adjustments” to the selection criteria.

“While we welcome the Prime Minister’s decision of a merit-based criteria to awarding scholarships, it must reflect the country’s racial ratio.

“The Malay population of this country is 67 per cent. That means 67 per cent of scholarships should be set aside for deserving Malays and Bumiputeras,” Kamarudin told reporters here.

Kamarudin claimed that preserving the country’s racial status quo was important to “ensure stability, harmony and to avoid conflict.”(yes I agree)

MPM also told the government to ensure that academic excellence was not the only benchmark for the awarding of scholarships.(yes I agree)

“They should award scholarships from all fields, not just for those who excel academically. Sometimes the whole process is too-exam oriented. Students who are capable leaders and who excel in sports should also be given scholarships,” said another committee member, Jais Abdul Karim.

Jais, who is also the president of Malay student group GPMS, said the government should establish a special committee within the Public Services Department to discuss the criteria of those who are deserving of scholarships.(yes I agree)

“You cannot liken a student who comes from a rich background and a student who is poor and give them the same assessment criteria for scholarships. Students who are poor should be given priority,” added Tan Sri Dr. Ibrahim Abu Shah, member of MPM’s steering committee.

The usually outspoken MPM chairman and Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali was unusually silent throughout the press conference.

Ibrahim broke his silence mid-way through the press conference by reiterating his colleagues’ viewpoints on maintaining the country’s racial status quo when awarding scholarships.

Ibrahim also demanded that the government cease its current practice of sending undergraduates overseas to study.

“The government says it spends RM1.4 billion in financing students overseas. This was done in the past because we did not have institutions back then which could support our students. But now we have so many learning institutions.

“Studying medicine in the United Kingdom costs RM1.2 million. If you were to study it locally, it will only amount to RM400,000. Save the money so that many others can benefit from it,” said the Pasir Mas MP.(makes sense to me)

For Scholarship applicants who do not qualify for the JPA program do not lose hope there are plenty of organisations who gives out scholarship:

1. Assunta Hospital Scholarship
2. Astro Scholarships Award
3. British American Tobacco BAT Malaysia Foundation Scholarship
4. CCM Scholarships
5. Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Education Withdrawal Scheme
6. Fujitsu Asia Pacific Scholarship
7. Gamuda Scholarship Awards
8. GIC Global Scholarship
9. Great Eastern Supremacy Local Scholarship
10. Great Eastern Supremacy Scholarship
11. Great eastern Supremacy Regional Scholarship
12. IJM Corporation Berhad Scholarships
13. JAL Scholarship Program
14. Jardine Scholarship
15. Khazanah Scholarship Awards
16. LITRAK Scholarships
17. Master Builders Association Malaysia Education Fund
18. Manulife Scholarships
19. Maxis Scholarship For Excellence
20. Micron Scholarship
21 MNRB Scholarship Fund 2007
22. M S Scholarship
23. Mudajaya Scholarship Awards
24. NST - MAPCU Scholarship
25. Petronas Education Scholarship
26. Powertek Berhad Scholarship
27. Premerite Scholarship
28. Putrajaya Perdana Scholarship Awards
29 Real Rewards Scholarship
30. Road Builder Group Scholarship
31. Rohas-Euco Education Fund
32 Securities Commission Malaysia Scholarship
33. Shell-Curtin Scholarship
34. Shell Malaysia Downstream Scholarship
35. Shell Malaysia Exploration Scholarship
36. Tanjong Scholarship Awards
37. The Star Education Fund Scholarship Awards 2007
38. Top Glove Scholarship
39. Yayasan KLK Scholarship
40. Yayasan Proton Scholarship
41. Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarships
42. Yayasan Telekom Malaysia Scholarship
43. YTL Power Scholarship
44. Intel Malaysia Scholarship
45. JAL Scholarship Programme 2007
46. UEM Group Scholarships
47. VisDynamics Holdings Berhad Scholarship
48. Shell Malaysia Scholarship 2008
49. Yayasan Khazanah Global Scholarship 2008
50. Shell Malaysia Scholarship 2009

For readers who are interested, do checkout this very helpful site Malaysia-Scholarship.com.