Scholarships a Malay special right, says Perkasa

Perkasa said the constitution guarantees Malay students priority in scholarship awards. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Malay rights group Perkasa today dove into the controversy surrounding the unfair distribution of government scholarships, charging that Malay students were the ones who were losing out when it came to receiving scholarships.

Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kassim claimed many Malay students were being “unfairly” treated by the Public Services Department (PSD) as they failed to obtain financial aid despite being qualified.

The federal constitution, according to Ruslan, ensured that Malays were prioritised when it came to receiving scholarships, adding that no one else could question that “fact.”

“Scholarships are the special rights of Malays under Article 153... The government and PSD must first make sure the rights of Bumiputeras are prioritised, a violation of the constitution in any form is a crime,” Ruslan said in a statement today.

Under Article 153, the special position of the Malays is to be safeguarded through the reservation of, among others, scholarships.

The Perkasa leader also berated the MIC for complaining that qualified Indian students were not given proper financial aid to further their studies, saying that “many more” Malay students were overlooked by the PSD.

“Perkasa can also claim that PSD has been unfair to Malays and Bumiputeras for denying their rights not only for scholarships, but also diplomas... if MIC, MCA wants to make noise about scholarships, Perkasa will remind them that Bumiputeras have yet to receive scholarships,” he said.

Ruslan said that MIC should be “grateful” that Indian students were getting local scholarships, and added that the PSD should abolish overseas scholarships.

“Make overseas scholarships only for post-graduate studies... this can save the outflow of money overseas and give due recognition to local public and private universities in the country,” Ruslan explained.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong revealed last week that 363 straight A+ students failed to secure the scholarships this year although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had agreed that all students scoring 8A+ and above will receive PSD scholarships after a similar brouhaha last year.

The MCA Youth chief said government officers who disobeyed Cabinet directives were one of the main reasons why top deserving students failed to get scholarships.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has reportedly ordered the PSD to investigate complaints that some SPM top scorers were not offered scholarships. He had, however, stressed that his ministry was not to blame as its list of scholarship candidates had already been forwarded.

The DAP has urged the Cabinet to strip the PSD of its scholarship award role and instead transfer it to Talent Corporation, the agency set up to address the country’s brain-drain problem.