Two days ago, I have in a statement revealed that Public Service Department (PSD) overseas scholarship (JKPJ Special Programme) requires only 7A s whereas local scholarship (P9 A+ Programme) requires 9 A +?
This is a strange, illogical and unfair policy which has puzzled most students, parents and the public.
I have expected immediate explanations from Datuk Devamany or the PSD Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim Seman but till today neither has chosen to respond or react to the issue.
This is an issue where silence is not an option and Malaysian taxpayers are entitled to know how PSD could practice such illogical policy in awarding scholarships.
I therefore call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib to direct PSD director general to explain to the Cabinet why overseas scholarship JKPJ Special programme only requires 7A when local scholarship (P9A+ Special programme) requires 9A+?
The difference in the academic requirement was clearly stated in the Parliament Hansard (official record of parliamentary meetings) dated April 5, 2017.
The meeting record has stated that Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister‘s Department Datuk SK Devamany, when replying to an oral question, had told the Parliament that a total of 461 students will be given local scholarship (P 9A+ Special programme).
He also said that under the JKPJ Special programme for engineering studies , students who have scored 7 A will be given the opportunity to study in 4 countries, namely Japan, Korea, France and Germany.
The issue of Devamany having made a mistake does not arise anymore as till today no such clarification has been made.
The Prime Minister must therefore summon PSD director general Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim to explain to the Cabinet.
The media has also reported the failure of the Ipoh top scorer Teh Xin Yi, who scored 11A+ in all her subjects and whose wish is to study engineering overseas, has failed to obtain a place under the JKPJ special programme.
Last year, only 102 students had scored 9 A + in all subjects in the 2016 SPM examination and Teh Xin Yi who has an impressive extracurricular activities record , was one of them.
She applied for the JKPJ Special Programme, yet she was unsuccessful despite the fact that she had scored 11 A+ and the JKPJ Special programme has 200 places and only 7 A in 2016 SPM is required.
The Cabinet should call for her file and find out why she had failed to obtain the scholarship under JKPJ Special programme