Yesterday, MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat announced that the Government will review the selection criteria for Public Services Department scholarships and that a meeting the same day would be held among Barisan Nasional component party leaders, the PSD director-general and the Chief Secretary to the Government to discuss the matter and reconsider rejected cases.
However, the most senior MCA Minister was contradicted yesterday itself by the Public Service Department director-general, Tan Sri Ismail Adam, as reported in today’s New Straits Times, which carried the headline “’No review of PSD scholarship selection criteria’”, viz:
PUTRAJAYA: There will be no review of the selection criteria for Public Service Department scholarships, PSD director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said yesterday.
He said he had not received any directive to reconsider the criteria.
Unsuccessful applicants for scholarships had until Monday to appeal, he added.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said on Wednesday there would be a review of the PSD criteria for giving out scholarships.
Ismail denied there was a meeting among Barisan Nasional component party leaders, the chief secretary to the government and himself, as claimed by Ong.
Ismail also denied Ong’s claims on the current selection criteria.
Who is lying? The MCA President or the PSD DG?
If it is the MCA President, then Ong should resign; but if it is the PSD director-general, then Ismail should be suspended from office immediately for public insurbordination of a Cabinet Minister and the Cabinet!
This period of the year has been described as the “annual begging season” when Malaysians have to beg for scholarships from the PSD although they are entitled to them because of their excellent academic results and meritocracy.
This is followed by the annual rigmarole of Barisan Nasional component parties trying to champion aggrieved students who had been by-passed in the PSD scholarships despite having brilliant academic results, when all these injustices and power abuses would have been prevented if there is in place a fair and transparent PSD scholarship system which is not prey to discriminatory regulations or the whims and fancies of individual bureaucrats.
Malaysians were as good as promised that they would be spared this humiliating “annual begging season” this year as there is now a new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his slogan of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.”
This slogan captured beautifully what was wrong with the PSD scholarship awards in the past years as to turn this period into an “annual begging season” – precisely because they failed to observe all the three criteria of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now”.
It is an indictment of the hollowness of Najib’s slogan of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” that the “annual begging season” is again being played out after the PSD announced results of its foreign degree scholarships last Friday.
Yesterday, Najib said he wanted to be the People’s Prime Minister.
He said the government must “listen to the pulse of the nation” which was the reason why he started his walkabouts.
“I went to Puduraya (bus terminal) so that I could smell the sweat, the grime and the dust. This is totally different if I were to listen to a briefing on the terminal by the mayor in my air-conditioned room. You are able to look deeply and assess the real situation.
“I do not want formality, red-carpet welcomes, garlands and so on. I just want to continue going down to the ground. Even if there is no (media) coverage, it is OK as I want to be the people’s prime minister.”
This is all well and good and commendable, if he really wants to empathise with the cares and woes of ordinary Malaysians, why had Najib been insensitive to the cries of outrage of Malaysian for the past week at the injustices of the PSD foreign degree scholarship awards?
Why had Najib failed to intervene personally to resolve the issue even after the subject had been raised in the Cabinet on Wednesday – especially as PSD comes directly under the responsibility of the Prime Minister?
In fact, the present batch of Cabinet Ministers are guilty of serious remiss of responsibility in failing to resolve the problem at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, as Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had announced as far back as March (Star 27.3.09) details of a new PSD scholarship scheme for foreign degrees, viz: 20 per cent or 400 of 2,000 scholarships for excellent students, 60 per cent or 1,200 scholarships for bumiputra and non-bumiputra SPM leavers; 10 per cent for 200 scholarships for Sabah and Sarawak bumiputra SPM leavers; the remaining 10 per cent for disabled students who excelled in their studies.
Why has this new PSD foreign degree scholarship scheme not been implemented? Was there insubordination by the “Little Napoleons” in the PSD?
Even if there had been insurbordination by “Little Napoleons” in the PSD, why were the Cabinet Ministers so ineffective and impotent at the last Cabinet meeting as not able to ensure that the new PSD scholarship scheme decided by the previous Cabinet is carried out without any sabotage or insurbodination?
According to last year’s SPM results, three students scored 16 1As, two scored 15 1As, six 14 1As, 41 of them scored 13 1As while 229 scored 12 1As.
Have everyone of these SPM top-scorers been awarded PSD scholarships if the new system of meritocracy is in place? Malaysians are entitled to a clear answer.
In the past week, the press have been full of reports of SPM top-scorers with 14 1As, 13 1As, 12 1As, 11 1As and 10 1As (like the case of Ma Ye Voon of Seremban which was raised by DAP MP for Rasah Anthony Loke) who had been by-passed in the PSD foreign degree scholarship awards, while others with seven or eight 1As are successful.
The MIC Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk S. K. Devamany had advised those who had failed to secure a PSD scholarship not to despair as there are many other opportunities.
The issue is not about disappointment or sense of despair of students bypassed in the PSD scholarships, but the sense of injustice that they are victims of a system which is blatantly unfair and discriminatory! What are the Ministers and Deputy Ministers doing to end such an unfair and unjust system so that unsuccessful applicants for PSD scholarships do not go away nursing a life-long burning sense of injustice and grievance?
The PSD interviewed 8,363 out of the 15,084 candidates who had applied for 2,000 scholarships under the foreign degree programme between March 31 and April 3. Those unsuccessful have been given until Monday, 18th May, to appeal.
But how is the PSD going to give scholarships to SPM top-scorers without doing a new injustice, in withdrawing scholarships to the existing batch of 2,000 successful students?
Is the government prepared to increase and even double the number of PSD foreign degree scholarships this year?
The 2009 budget for local and foreign scholarships is RM233 million – which is a small fraction of the gross waste of public funds in other sectors, like the RM12 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal, for which Malaysians are still waiting for Ong Tee Keat to fulfil his promise to “tell all” and make public the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the PKFZ scandal.
If the government does not squander public funds in mega-scandals like the RM12 billion PKFZ scandal, it would find no difficulty in doubling or even trebling the budget for PSD scholarships, as the RM12 billion which is reported to be the latest update on the total costs which have to be borne by the taxpayers for the project is some 50 times of the annual PSD scholarship allocation!
I call on Najib to give his personal attention to ensure that all the SPM top-scorers with more than 10 1As are awarded PSD scholarships, as a first step to make his slogan “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” really meaningful.
#1 by oraclespeak on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 10:38 pm
I propose that the PSD, being a government department (and therefore the rakyat’s servant ) publish for all the rakyat to see, a list of all scholarship holders and their performance every year. Our PM talks about transparency in the civil srevice. I totally support our PM’s move to have an on-line site to document and monitor the spending and implementation of the stimulus package announced lately. I propose he also incudes one for the PSD scholarships.
When I was studying in England on MFO Scholarship( My Father’s Own scholarship), I used to work in the bakeries and factories with other non-government scholars during the “graveyard shift” (7pm-7am) and fending for ourselves made “MEN” out of us.
I did not see any government scholars ( who were usually jollying around, drinking in pubs, discos and girls )amongst us. Many of these government scholars invariably failed the exams but they were always changing courses and one guy I knew have been in England for 8 years on a Mara scholarship.
I say to all the bright young students of all races in our Beautiful Malaysia, do not lose hope, go pursue your dreams overseas even if they reject your PSD scholarship application, you can always survive in England by parttime work. Hey, have you ever heard of any student in England dying of hunger??
#2 by pwcheng on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 10:50 pm
Dear yhsiew ,
Do you believe what this PSD guy says? He can twist and turn better than an acrobat. All this are just recently coined bullshit which he is very good and experience in it. That’s why he is there for years. At one time I thought he was out of the scholarship panel. I think UMNO still needs him you know for what.
#3 by tsn on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 10:52 pm
Year in year out the same old grandma story. Limited resources just impossible to satisfy skyhigh demands. High time to scrap this dispute laden, obviously cost>benefit scheme. Today I believe we are capable to offer most of the undergrad degrees. Oversea public scholarships are only for courses which we are not able to provide. Why must we obsess, crazy about oversea degrees? It is this obsession, craziness pepetuates the inferiority of local graduates. Of course, those with private funding, by all means, go to wherever you wish.
If one reads those As-scorer-yet-unsuccessful JPA scholarship applicants’ blurt-out in newspapers, one might feel a bit worry. Many of them cited the main purpose to study hard all these years is to score good results, so that they secure a scholarship to study medicine/dentistry oversea. The main purpose of education is no longer knowledge seeking, character building but a ticket to Ireland, US… to study dentistry which can be done much cheaper locally.
As Malaysians become smarter, more and more As scorers are coming around, the problem is definitely to intensify in the future.
#4 by monsterball on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:04 pm
I guess as a politician..who spend his whole life exposing UMNO and BN…misdeeds.. a non stop dirty job no one wants..which Lim Kit Siang have been doing it for decades …never ceased to love Malaysia Malaysians.
His reward is so clear…son CM…no bribery needed.
Having said that…..what is MCA?…NOTHING.
People’s Power rejected MCA in the 12th GE.
Ling Liong Sik ….have put his useless puppets in….and the show goes on. Tell me People….what qualities do you see from OKT and OTK…that made them… MCA Presidents…compared to past MCA leaders?…NOTHING!?
Nothing to us too…but both are one hell of excellent loyal disgraceful lapdogs of UMNO…asking Chinese to be racialists and second class citizens..to UMNO.
Najib said…”I will be forever with the people”….and it is the people he keeps insulting….disrespecting and bullying.
So much for Najib’s low class cunning tactics.
So much for MCA and UMNO truthfulness.
Mahathir commented weirdly….saying he hope Malaysians will easily forget. Otherwise no hope for UMNO 13th GE.
Weird or not weird…more and more…mamak is revealing his true real character.
#5 by monsterball on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:14 pm
Few smart commentators love to talk Malaysian stuffs by using races….which UMNO planted into their heads.
People’s Power sees no race…nor religion.
Those are personal identities…..and all we need to do is keep respecting each other race and cultures.
But talking about Nation’s affairs..it must be Malaysia Malaysian attitude..one race…the Malaysians..no more minority nor majority…this and that.
As long as UMNO is governing….there will never be a Malaysian Malaysia nor unity. That’s how they like it.
#6 by raven77 on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:17 pm
Aiyoo…Uncle Lim…..Which civil servant listens to Cabinet Ministers..especially the non Malay ones….The PR doesnt realise sometimes that their real enemies are civil servants and little Napoleans fed well by UMNO…..
#7 by monsterball on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:19 pm
UMNO loves to play race issues supported by MCA.
LKS is exposing MCA puppets…and twisted to be a racialist by low class MCA agents here.
#8 by yhsiew on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:26 pm
Here is the actual reason why the review of the selection criteria for Public Services Department scholarships was called off.
Tonight’s China Press reported that the chairman of PERKASA was unhappy that OTK wanted a review on the selection criteria for the PSD scholarships because he felt that OTK was arrogant, racist and ignorant of the federal constitution.
He said the scholarships meant for the Malays had come under siege. The government had already given way to allow the scholarships be divided in the ratio 51 to 49, yet the Chinese and Indians were still not grateful and they still did not support BN.
If the government continues to give way, eventually it will not get the support of the Malays. The Malays will take to the street to vent their anger like what the Hindraf did.
He urged the government to give the scholarships back to the Malays so as to protect their privileges under the federal constitution.
#9 by TomThumb on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:28 pm
30% of all scholarships and loans must be given to non-bumis among those who deserve them going by their GPAs. if that works out to 90% so it is.
#10 by a2a on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:52 pm
WHY WE ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK INTO 30% PERCENT NUMBER?
CAN WE JUST ALL BE EQUAL?
THIS COUNTRY IS DOOM IF WE KEEP LOOK AT MY RACE, YOUR RACE, THAT RACE STILL IN QUARREL WHAT SHARE TO DIVIDE, IT WILL DEFINITELY DOOM WHEN THE BLACK OIL NEED TO BE IMPORTED WHEN OTHERS COUNTRIES AHEAD OF US 20 YEARS TALK ABOUT ALL ARE EQUAL TO WORK AS ONE TO COMPETE GLOBALY.
#11 by TomThumb on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:43 am
apa lu cakap??
#12 by pwcheng on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:46 am
MCA is appearing doing its job but UMNO is hell bent to continue what had been gong on. So it is bull shit when MCA keeps blaming the Implementation. UMNO is actually behind all this.
#13 by passerby on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 1:36 am
I think Mr. Lim Kit Siang has done a very fair and good job in voicing against racist policy, corruptions, nepotism and has been very consistent in his fight against these practices right from the very beginning. He did all these for a sole purpose of making Malaysia a fairer place for all the citizen to live and prosper in.
If these are not the issues that any decent and honest politicians to fight against, then tell us what they should do as an opposition politician? Of course to those who have benefited through this racist system beyond their wildest dreams, will deem him to be a threat to their undeserved entitlement and has regarded these as their god damned given rights. This kind of thinking and mentality will only retard the country from being become a developed country.
You don’t have to look far to see how these kind of racist policies will lead to. Just look at Indonesia and see how a very resource rich country has been reduced to a beggar country. Right now Malaysia is still fortunate that its hard-working non-bumi population is still substantial but is reducing fast and once it is reduced to a non-sustainable level, Malaysia will go down the drain like Indonesia.
This not just an isolated case. It happens to any countries that discriminate any section of its citizen, all those countries will eventual suffer. See what happen to Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, etc., when their smarter and hard-working Christian population dwindle through migration, all these countries have become stagnant.
#14 by frankyapp on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 1:52 am
The argument by Kasim Amat saying the BN has done alot for the chinese and that the chinese should be grateful or else go back to China is both provocative and sensitive . It’s not relevant at all.If Kasim Amat is sincere and a good citizen he should stop saying such remark again.Why,because the malaysian chinese can also apply such argument against other races in the country.Kasim Amat,I am sure you want peace and happiness in our country. Please show some restrain.
#15 by mohrafael on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 2:07 am
If we can’t change this, then just tolerate bit longer, and come next GE, just vote PKR (DAP/PKR/PAS) to change the government.
#16 by AhPek on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 2:59 am
There are still many racists like this idiot Kasim Amat and because of them the racist policy of BN government continues to flourish with people like Ong TaK Kut putting up a show to fight for the Chinese cause when in fact he is bending to the wishes of his UMNO masters.Only way is not only to cast a vote against BN but also work hard to influence your relatives,colleagues and friends to do likewise to get this effect snowballed.THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
#17 by ekin on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 4:13 am
kassim amat had been racist ever since he start to blog.
lets just ignore such idiot because all he will do is to cause racism amongst malaysians.
PM can never do 1malaysia, why? because of people like kassim amat exist in the country and had never stop to cause disunities and divisions everywhere he goes.
kassim amat, look at what BN had done for the past 51 years first before you start blogging again, otherwise you’ll only embarrass yourself like you’d been all along.
we never doubted BN’s credibility due ever since but if you’re just looking at the smallest corner of the big picture, then please, LOOK properly.
please don’t talk when your head is in between your butt, you can never think when its there at that position.
the ill allocation of the PSD has never fail its job.
we have eyes to watch and not blinded to it.
we know what’s going on and silence doesn’t mean consense!
#18 by isahbiazhar on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 5:37 am
We should call on the American government to take all those rejected excellent students and make them citizens there so that their brains can be used by them since our government finds them unsuitable.The billions which go towards corruption and failed priojects could be used to educate these students to reach their potential.Perhaps Singapore will be willing to accept them.Why go begging?
#19 by kerishamuddinitis on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 7:23 am
16As? 21As? It this for real? Or is this bothering on silliness when you shout to the world that we have students scoring 21As but hide the truth that the subjects are broken down into their component parts for which each is awarded an A. So, when once students could take a maximum number of 8 papers, today we have the stupid situation of 1 student taking 21 papers! Then when we look at the ‘papers.’ we fall down laughing because they are so basic and easy.
Oh and there was the Malay law lecturer who passed only 15% of her students but was INSTUCTED to inflate the number of passing students. When she refused, she was sacked.
We have become the laughing stock of the academic world…that’s why thousands of students of all races run away to study overseas every year…where they are NOT allowed to do something stupid like take 21 papers!
#20 by ALLAN THAM on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:09 am
As to kassim proposal to ask those not happy with Bn can go back to where they are from. The point was this those who come from China many has died long time and this generation are all born here. So we also have to stay here as this was the country where we are from. As to Chinese are not grateful? If contributing by paying taxes is not grateful what else is grateful. Do you mean licking the BN ass is the most and only way to show your gratefulness to your Country?? Like what this kassim guy who is BN’s ass licker the most grateful man in Malaysia??
#21 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:41 am
i think the government must insist that those receiving scholarships must serve the bond after completing their studies. This is one sure way to reduce the demand for scholarship. I believe even among the non Malays, many of those who got the scholarships are the rich and the well-connected. Scholarships are like free money. They have never intended to serve in the first place.
Are we talking about poor non Malays here? You see, most poor non Malays would have dropped out before they reach form five or would have obtained only grade 3.
#22 by waterfrontcoolie on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:52 am
This kassim guy is a waste of your time, so don’t respond to his provocations! You can’t change the man who has so little up there, a typical ” Zakaria-type’ only respond to money no matter the source of it!
#23 by ALLAN THAM on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:14 am
Malaysian are nice people but once in awhile we cann’t help they are idiot like kassim who has pretend to grateful to the master of the CORRUPT. We are not asking to deprive one race for the other but the main point is whoever you are and as far as you qualify one should be given the rightfully and fair treatment.
The main issue was that BN has corrupted and become of the master suckers of all tax payers money leaving a miserable allocation for this PSD fund. We have no problem to assist Malay to succeed but we are against the unfair treatment as we are all Malaysian who has contributed by paying the taxes where the fund was from.
Now BN has keep wasting the tax payers money and now you say to those students who are more then reserve the assistance that no money no enough fund year in and year out. Who will you trusted.
PKFZ was the most solid proof on the wastage that BN has done. The most injustice that BN has done to the people to the tax payers of all Malaysian.
PSD SHOULD never become an issue of race. It was simply of the insufficient of allocation due to CORRUPT practices by BN over the decades.
If kassim want to be a licker then it is his own business but he should not propose to ask Chinese to go back from where they come from. May he should ask Lim Goh Tong to be buried in Hokkien too.
#24 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:14 am
TomThumb (more like Toe) says: 30% of all scholarships and loans must be given to non-bumis among those who deserve them going by their GPAs. if that works out to 90% so it is.
Huh, apa du cakap? Saya faham, tapi mungkin monsterball tak boleh.
#25 by blablowbla on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:36 am
abba asks:what is the name of the game?what is the name of the game?
bolehland answered:jealousy is the name of the game!
abba says:i m so lucky,i m the girl with golden hair!
bolehland said:i m so lucky,i m the stupid amno malays but got the chance to study in Tokyo (look-east-policy)and Canada!even i m dark hair!
talk less with ppl like kasim amat,chengho n so fort,these are stone-aged ppl,thy dont know what is globalisation,they just want to be spoon-fed forever!
sad,sad,sad!
#26 by TomThumb on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:39 am
apek liem apa lu cakap? lu lulok diam diam. jangan cakap banyeak.
#27 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:48 am
Gua cakap, du tak pafam kerana du otak sakit atau otak tak ada. Du pilih lah mana satu.
#28 by lopez on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:51 am
kasim malas, is really a stupid coconut head, he can speak for himself why he suck all others in.
a generalised backward thinking fool, why does he underestimate hiimself ,
does he knows they are also his type elsewhere in this world, and doesn t he knows they are doing extremely fine without hand outs too.
i say see you GE 13
#29 by ALLAN THAM on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 10:01 am
When the dusk settled down. When all those who has been disappointed has been offer an alternative. All the huha huha will also come to an end for few more months and take on some other issues. The so call MCA also come a relief and business as usual until next release of SPM/STPM results. When the some old issues will keep playing.
The Chinese are easily contented and they will settled down for what ever alternative they have. This is typical of Chinese and they will so how find a way out of the dead lock and move forward.
Just like myself and people like oralcespeak who were the abandon sons of this Country. People like us will just find a way out as far as we want to succeed in life and want to studies. Am sure oraclespeak has been succeed economically and thus also has contributed his fair share to this Country that has abandon him just like my self, in the form of taxes. Am sure like myself also has given out hope that this country will assist my children and so will never put a hope of getting PSD funding if they are qualify too, so we all saved hard for the education fund.
Regardless of this country who has refused to assist us when we need the assistance most, after we have succeeded in our own way we are still grateful and contribute back to this Country. Remember not only kassim as he is just no body, but do remember the new DPM who has also commented that Chinese are ungrateful lot? Ya! People are short memory especially Chinese ya! My question remain the same whether to kassim or DPM. Do you want Chinese to lick the BN ass to shown their gratefulness and contributing by paying taxes is not consider to be GRATEFUL??
As to PSD issue! It will repeat again after the next announcement of SPM/STPM results. Like wise another PKFZ will also in the making as far as idiots like us still paying taxes and contributing.
#30 by blablowbla on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 10:03 am
lim go tong pun tak tau cakap,tapi dia otak pandai,dulu 5000 olang malayu keja bawah dia,5000 olang ada 1 isteri dan 5 anak,makna 35,000 olang malayu punya nasa periok bergantong kpd lim go tong,tom thumb,lu bolih beritau gua siapa taukeh busar malayu(bukan kerajaan)yg blih buat macam lim go tong?lu macam tong sampahlah!
#31 by lopez on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 10:04 am
tom go thumb the mexican ass,
if democracy just means majority then your growing up for so long has taught u nothing,
you musda have benefitted a lot from the scholarship ….cream of your generation i supposed….
well , i paid for it and you no respect
#32 by taiking on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 10:25 am
I believe kasim amat can be turned over. He is misguided by umno and by some wrong perceptions. He lives within the umno mold and therefore he looks at things from umno’s angle strictly.
His main difficulty is this. It is a fact that all umnoputras became supremely wealthy because the umno government gave them the opportunities to get rich. After decades of such practice this idea got ingrained in his DNA. As a result he and his kind came to expect those opportunities from the umno government. In other words, they became totally dependant on the umno government for success and wealth. That is why he sees the umno government as provider of richness. That is why he and his kind cannot fathom a malaysia without umno.
Common malays who succeeded without umno like us could tell that there are also opportunities outside umno. The only difference is the rest of us (common malays included) are expected to take risk and to work hard whereas umnoputras need not work hard and have the profitability of their ventures guaranteed. But risk and hard work are the two basic and necessary ingredients for success. Of course, he and his kind did not realise this. And hard work and risk taking within the protected evironment of umno is never the same thing.
So to him those of us who are successful became successful because of the umno government. That is his misperception. So like him, he felt that we too must be grateful to umno and like him we too must not see umno dissapear. It is undeniable that there are some non-umnoputra businessmen who aligned themselves with umno politicians and benefitted tremendously. They must be feeling grateful towards umno. I am quite certain of that. But really there arent many such people about. The large majority of us must still depend on sheer hard work and risk taking which has nothing to do with umno.
For those of us who had to work hard and take risk, it really pained us to see extreme and needless wastage of funds and resources as a result of mismanagement, corruption and abuse by umnoputras. Wastage in the order of hundreds of billions cannot be justified at all no matter what. But kasim and his kind, wastage of funds and resources is merely a necessary and unavoidable by-product of success. How sinfully wrong they were.
So kasim. Look beyond umno. The world outside umno is actually more exciting and challenging. You belonged to the era of reality tv shows. Common on. You can take the excitement and challenge outside umno. You should. I would urge you to.
#33 by katdog on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:18 am
MCA is just doing what it has been trained to do all these years.
Play up the racial inequalities and then make themselves up as the champion/mediator to ‘win’ more rights for the chinese.
DAP should not play the same game with MCA.
There should be no quotas for any race. There should be no chinese quota. There should be no indian quota. Scholarships should be awarded to all eligible Malaysians regardless of race.
#34 by madmix on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:18 am
Same old story year in year out. Getting a scholarship just because one has 20 As is not a RIGHT. I propose a reality show style program on TV similar to Donald Trump’s Apprentice. Participants should have at least 7 A’s; they will be given tasks to assess their intelligence, social skills, problem solving skills etc. The winners will be given their coveted scholarships. YOU ARE ADMITTED!
#35 by katdog on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:49 am
Getting lotsa A’s may not be trully reflective of a persons capabilities. But unfortunately we need some form of measurement when it comes to determining the ‘quality’ of the students. That’s the whole purpose of examinations and A’s. And if we do not award scholarships based on this, then by what measurement do we determine that a student is deserving? By a 15 minute interview? By letters of endorsement from ‘credible’ persons?
If the A’s are not trully reflective of a students capabilities then the problem is in the method of examination and the method of marking and grading. We should be examining these instead saying that the A’s means nothing. Because if the A’s mean nothing, then why bother to have examinations in the first place?
#36 by Kasim Amat on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:07 pm
Chinese and Indian will never understand what the government is trying to do is to benefit the majority of the population instead of a small group of people. It is not necessary that the students with the best result will get the scholarship. The same principles apply to the fact that the students with the best results do not necessarily make the most money. So the government is looking at areas where they could help more poor students to continue with their studies. Those students with better results do not have to worry about their future and it is those who do not have good results have to worry about their future.
#37 by Onlooker Politics on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:44 pm
“It is not necessary that the students with the best result will get the scholarship.” (Kasim Amat)
Kasim Amat,
Will you please give your advice to your political master in BN that the word “scholarship” should not be misused again when you don’t mean to offer the scholarship to the best performing students? It is really an insult to the intelligence of most Malaysian people except the half past six Umnoputras when you continue to mislead the whole world by giving the so-called “scholarship” to only the substandard students! What a big shame you BN fellas has brought to Malaysia by misuse of the word “scholarship”!
#38 by ktteokt on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:55 pm
All these are end products of NEGOTIATIONS behind closed doors between MCA and UMNO! The eunuchs from MCA had no balls to demand their rights from UMNO but turn around and tell the Chinese in Malaysia “we will fight for your rights”!
#39 by katdog on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:59 pm
To Kasim Amat,
Please do remember that a small group of people (the non Malays) are the ones paying 90% of taxes and are therefore funding 90% of these scholarships.
In addition the rakyat has the right to be informed how their money is being used and how this translates to benefit for the nation as a whole.
The government has no right to tell us that we do not understand and therefore should not complain. We are not obliged to support anything that we do not have full understanding of. It is the responsibility of the government to provide full public disclosure so that we may understand.
The problem is that the UMNOputras have abused their special priviledges and mismanaged the money (of which 90% is provided by non Malays) in order to reward only a small select group of people whom UMNOputra’s deem to be ‘supportive’ and ‘worthy’. This has led to a detriment to the nation as a whole leading to serious brain drain and our country’s inability to compete with other nations.
Not just the non Malays. Do you seriously think worthy Malays are being awarded scholarships? Or only those with the ‘proper credentials and links’?
#40 by ktteokt on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 1:00 pm
Come to think of it, why should MCA, as a component party in BN, “fight”? If what the UMNO leaders have been saying all these while is true, that they “share” power, MCA need just tell UMNO that it is their right to do this and do that and not beg like BEGGARS for crumbs and bits fallen from the dining table of UMNO! Just leave the “fighting” to the opposition parties and do your bit as a “component” party in the ruling party! By declaring it is “fighting for this and fighting for that”, MCA is just declaring itself as the “OPPOSITION WITHIN THE RULING PARTY”! If that is the contention, why don’t it just leave BN and become a true blood OPPOSITION PARTY?
#41 by AhPek on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 1:03 pm
Do you know that if you lump all the people with very high IQs or if you like supposed to be classified as genius brains,how many would come close to achievements like Stephen Chu’s achievement (achievement not material wealth that you are so engrossed with),Kasim Amat? Many with high IQs don’t make anything of themselves.And who is Stephen Chu do you know?
We are not talking of giving scholarships to students so that they can make money. We are talking about helping the poor and the disadvantaged,not about race-based policy to help only the Malays.We are talking about a needs-based policy to do the right thing to help the poor. If say to define poor to mean anybody with a take-home salary of RM1000 should be given say RM500 from the government as an example.All communities in Malaysia would have family heads earning RM1000 or less and Malays being the biggest group (50.4% of Malaysia’s population)can be expected to have a bigger number of poor in the country or probably the biggest number and therefore the RM500 aid would go to more Malays than Chinese or Indian or Ibans.So how is it by pursuing a needs-based policy Malays would be discriminated or marginalised unless you say that by pursuing that we can’t continue to make more Malay multimillionaires than the present NEP and affirmative policy.The current policy is to enrich the UMNOPUTRAS,perhaps you being one of them and that’s why you are so vehemently against the idea.Fancy asking those who are for fair treatment for everybody to go back to China or India.Kasim Amat this country belongs to all citizens of this country.Who the hell give you the God damn right to ask those who are not for UMNO ways to go back to where their forefathers come from.Many of the Non Malays have been in this land for generations whose roots here date back far longer than people like Khir Toyol,Mamak,Syed Hamid or many of the UMNOPUTRAS. Don’t you know that!!!
#42 by taiking on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 2:55 pm
Kasim oh kasim. If Razak baginda did not take 500m of our country’s money then for this year there would be enough scholarship money to go round. No need to draw up this strategy and that strategy or this criteria or that criteria for entitlement to psd scholarship. Now that is only one dip by one person into our coffer and imagine how much trouble he alone had caused and how many people suffered. (I am not singling him out here. I am just using him as an example.)
Umno suffered too. Because there are not enough money to go round for scholarship the umno government has to draw up criteria and when the manner in which the scholarship monies were given out is not transparent and seem unfair can you blame us for complaining? You should be kicking people like razak baginda for depleting our coffer needlessly and unjustifiably and not point finger at us and accuse us of being ungrateful. Now this is the real issue and the real cause of our discontentment with the umno government.
Look at the port klang fiasco. Look at the bank bumi losses. And many many others. Without all these losses Malaysia is a rich country. We need not be subjected to all sorts of criteria for wealth distribution. If umnoputras did not take away all our monies and wealth all of us, yes including you and me, can enjoy life comfortably. Because of wastage and corruption our resources are stretched thin.
Umno sowed the seeds for all these problems. Now that the problem seeds have grown to uncontrollable height what should they do? Chop them down. Uproot them. We would support the umno government if that is what they are doing! In fact we have given the umno government several decades of support. Yet we saw no improvement. So dont accuse us of not supporting the umno government. Dont blame us for voicing our unhappiness. And pls. The call for us to return to the country of our ancestor is lame. The people of Malaysia would be reduced to orang asli only if that happens.
Can you sit down and do a short tally of the money we lost as a result of corruption etc and then plan a little list of things that the country could do with those money. You know like more scholarship and more universities and more schools for everyone. Or maybe toll free roads etc. Think about it.
#43 by Loh on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 6:46 pm
AhPek,
I suspect that kassim Amat was not stupid. He just wanted to make racist statement to provoke, and he might be paid to do so here.
#44 by AhPek on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 7:01 pm
Yes agreed but then again he mustn’t be let off just like that,Loh.We must tell him that his boss’s position is not acceptable and let him know that he has not got any God given right to ask anyone of us to go to China or India the land where our forefathers came from.Malaysia belongs to us as much as to him and every citizen must be given a place under the Malaysian sun.He has to be told this in no uncertain terms even if it has to be repeated.That promoting meritocracy and needs-based policy does not mean at all discriminating or marginalising Malays or for that matter anybody!
#45 by james teng on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:39 pm
My daughter JO ANN scored 13 A1s in her 2009 SPM and she don’t even qualified for a PSD scholarship to study medicine locally, not to mention Overseas scholarship. She was victimized by that little napolean ( Ismail Adam ). Ismail Adam ( I wondered if he deserved to addressed as a TAN SRI ) has committed deliberate insubordination to the Malaysian Cabinet chaired by the 1Malaysia People’s Prime Minister. I am sick and tired of all this “1malaysia” concept which now touched 1Youth, Mother’s Day, Teacher’s Day…..
Since the JPA Scholarship was announced on pre-Wesak Day, I have approached one Minister ( Dato’ Seri Kong Cho Ha ) in MCA Perak, the only answer from this minister was ” u can appeal but there is no guarantee u can get JPA .” I called on all malaysians ( especially the proud parents of the top 250 High Achievers ) to stand up and be counted in our fight against injustice done by this Ismail Adam. WE, shall through the right channel ( LIM KIT SIANG ) and his counterparts in PKR, PAS and NGOs submit a petition to the People’s Prime Minister that we are all for 1Malaysia provided he walk the talk and declare that he is supportive of ” HIGH ACHIEVERS FIRST, SCHOLARSHIPS NOW. ” As parents, WE must also demanded that the MCA, GERAKAN, MIC, PPP, SUPP, etc Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, MPs and State Assemblymen to make their stand on Meritocracy and Culture of Excellence and the question is : Are they willing to walk the talk to fight for OUR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS to gain PSD Scholarships to realize their dreams to become doctors, engineers, accountants etc.
Can someone stand up and lead us to champion our children’s rights RIGHT now and we can’t wait for an answer. I appeal to Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take up this ” NO SENSE ” PSD Scholarship Awards issue immediately and can someone from the opposition parties do us a favour by lodging a report with MACC for suspected bribery by Ismail Adam ( based on the fact that students with less As are awarded Overseas Scholsrship ). Can someone take the lead and call on all Successful Recipients to come forward and give their scholarships’ details for public scrutiny.
If this year’s TOP ACHIEVERS are deprived of the PSD Scholarships by Ismail Adam ( a public servant who abuses his power and clearly worked against the Cabinet’s directive ) even after the appeal is closed on 18th. May, I called upon the MCA, GERAKAN and MIC Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, MPs, Senators, State Assemblymen to seriously consider to resign EN BLOC from BN. WE want a wave of change NOW and to tell the People’s Prime Minister that it is a sin and crime to deny the children’s RIGHTS to education, especially when we the rakyat are given the assurance that Top Achievers will be given PSD Scholarships based on meritocracy ( as openly announced by Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Dato Seri Nadzri, Dato Seri Ong Tee Keat ).
Can LIm Kit Siang lead us and make arrangement for us to meet the People’s Prime Minister personally to bring up our grievances in our capacity as the UNITED PARENTS’ SUPPORT GROUP of the TOP ACHIEVERS SPM STUDENTS. We can’t wait to see the People’s Prime Minister’s reactions to our children’s problems of not given PSD scholarships and you be surprised how brilliants our childrens are when it comes to asking brilliant questions to the Prime Minister.
There was a hope when Dato Seri Ong Tee Keat announced that there will be a meeting with Ismail Adam. Our hope is dashed when Ismail Adam denied outright Tee Keat’s statement. And the best thing that happens is the People’s Prime Minister make no comment at all. It has been one week and time is running out …. please send out S.O.S to everyone Malaysians to do something right now…..
Lim Kit Siang, your service to the nation will be best remembered by the Top Achievers and their proud parents and we want immediate actions to flood the ” letters to editors ” column since the People’s Prime Minister liked to read them, to call for parliamentary select commitee meeting on education, to send memorandum to PM, DPM, Education Minister, Higher Education Minister and to challenge Ismail Adam for a open debate in the electronic media, to ask Ismail Adam to reveal if he, his children or grandchildren had ever scored 13 1As in their MCE or SPM before.
Ismail Adam was the “mockey at the back of the People’s prime minister ” who seen to be strongly against top achievers of As. I would want to change the JPA acronym to ” Jom Pinggirkan As ” instead of Jabatan Perkihidmatan Awam. I also wondered if any of his crony JPA officers had any straight As results in their SPM.
We want a ” Barack Obama ” in Malaysia to realize the dreams of our top achievers and we don’t care if he is from BN or Pakatan Rakyat for we owe our children’s our commitment to unlock their potential to fly and become doctors, engineers, accountants…..
PSD Scholarships awards should not be dictated by Ismail Adam and he cannot play god and do his whims and fancies years after years. We want transparency and we want meritocracy from the Government of today and we must be prepared to change the Goverment whose policy is against meritocracy and transparency.
I dare to challenge anyone from the Government to an open debate ” on why the top achievers do not deserve the PSD Scholarships ” and if Ismail Adam is so arrogant I challenged him to resign as PSD D-G and stand for election in Ipoh Timur, Ipoh Barat or Batu Gajah or anywhere in Malaysia so that he can become a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department or the Transport Minister ( for he has shown that he is more powerful than any of the ministers ). It is high time this beloved country be free from little napoleans who do things at his own whims and fancies and we do not need “senseless” deputy minister from MIC who puts salts to wounds with his remarks that there are other opportunities. MIC should sack him for that remarks. Are you going to tell the Indians top scorers to give up just like that. Makkal Sakthi to all malaysian indians and please help yourself ( and your children ) by voting him out in Cameron Highlands this 13th. GE.
WE want moral supports from all politicians and all malaysians and lets tell the People’s Prime Minister that our stand is clear and we want PSD Scholarships to given to all top achievers and to all the poiliticians who kept quiet and sitting comfortably in their air-cond office, the Awarding of PSD Scholarships would be one KPI for your performances as an elected representative in the GE.
To all the former MCA and Gerakan Ministers, where are you now when your voices is most needed. Are you more than interested to become Ambassador than championing the rights of children?
” Top Achievers FIRST, PSD Scholarships NOW. ” Lim Kit Siang, we now depend on you to lead us through this turbulent caused the ” Ismail Adam tsunami “. We need to throw them the challenge now towards the impending state election in Perak and the 13th. Elections. Go ahead and and call for national referendum to sack Ismail Adam as the JPA D-G and I will be the OOOOOO1 signatory to this ” ONE MILLION SIGNATURES NATIONAL REFERENDUM to champion our children’s rights to education and to push for transparency in the PSD Scholarship Awards. I will be your speaker in any of your election campaigns for I am deeply disappointed with the sickening attitudes of those ministers who are ” juniors ” to even a JPA D-G.
Count me IN for any talks or debate on this NATIONAL INTEREST of justice for our children and the next generation. I will be away from 18/5 to 21/5 due to work commitment.
Thank you LIM KIT SIANG for your courage and commitment to champion the people’s rights.
#46 by a2a on Sunday, 17 May 2009 - 1:01 am
That idiot IQ below 30.
You need to lower your IQ below 30 to communicate wt this idiot.
Those people in Tanjung Rambutan are more suitable to talk wt him.
#47 by ChinNA on Sunday, 17 May 2009 - 6:57 am
Kasim Amat said “If this is the case, the best thing to do is to live (leave) the country, do(go) back to where they come from and be done with it.”
I have put in parenthesis what I think you actually meant. If that is wrong, then I apologise.
I need your help here. Can you advise the best way Chinese can leave the country? Today, I have a friend who had to wait more than 2 years for renunciation of citizenship to be approved.
Why is leaving the country so difficult? If the BN government wants the Chinese to leave the country, this renunciation process should be fast tracked to 2 weeks of less. Ideally, it should be pre-approved. No need to wait.
Kasim, please share your insights here.
#48 by sotong on Sunday, 17 May 2009 - 9:07 am
Except for the Orang Asli, it is time for all Pendatang to leave the country.
#49 by Loh on Sunday, 17 May 2009 - 11:01 am
///Ismail Adam ( I wondered if he deserved to addressed as a TAN SRI ) has committed deliberate insubordination to the Malaysian Cabinet chaired by the 1Malaysia People’s Prime Minister.///
Ismail Adam, the Director General of Public service Department is the second highest government servant after the KSN. He shows his independence when he should be taking order in terms of implementing government policies. The government service should be independent in terms of conducting government policies without bowing to party interest. In this case, the Cabinet under PM Najib has given clear-cut directive and yet he has refused to carry it out. Are we sure that he was not given tacit approval by the government to drag his feet?
If Ismail Adam had acted against the directive of the cabinet when clear-cut directive has been issued then we should expect that he would be doing exactly the same thing, which is implementing government policies with racial discrimination. With the protection of Ismail Adam and the liked minded civil servants it is no wonder that the government institutions served as an extension of UMNO. They acted with impunity with the protection of the racist elements such as the kerisman and other racist champion of UMNO. AAB complained about napoleons in the government service but he had not the ability to weed them out. Najib benefitted from the napoleons in ascending the throne, but they could also undermine his ability to implement post NEP policies, assuming he was serious about 1Malaysia rather than 1blackMalaysia.
The scholarship award is an issue receives public attention every year. Yet the PSD chief was willing to go public in displaying his racist intention. That is arrogance. He must have been encouraged by the fact that the wrong doing received public attention and the protests would soon fizzle out. But that incident would serves to tell young Malaysians that the country practices racial discrimination. National service as implemented would not be able to change the mind of the aggrieved community. It might be better to abolish the national service and use the funds to provide for additional scholarship awards if needed, so that true meritocracy is practised in scholarship awards.
If Najib intends to govern with rule of law, he should ensure that government service toe cabinet decisions. That is assuming he acts what he says.
#50 by AhPek on Sunday, 17 May 2009 - 2:20 pm
“AAB complained about napoleans in the government service but he had not the ability to weed them out.”. Loh.
That napoleans can come about in the civil service because of racialist tendency arising out of a work force dominated overwhelmingly by a single ethnic group.This dominance started to take root since Razak’s time when NEP and affirmative action began,exacerbated when Mamak took over the reigns and continued until the present.They have now become a force unto itself,and public rage and outcry resulting from such unfairness to non Malay students would not move these napoleans one single bit.YB Lim’s effort to change things whilst admirable cannot be expected to make them relent much.
There is no alternative except to effect a change of government at the 13th GE which is in fact up to us as voters at the end of the day.Even this is not enough for the bigger battle ahead is to change the attitudes of the staff of all our compromised existing institutions….how to make them a people’s civil service.
Unless that happens no amount of public outcry will resolve things!!!