KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that it is unfortunate Datuk Seri Nazri
Aziz does not know MCA’s role in the government, as a spat over public scholarships between the Umno minister and the Barisan Nasional (BN) Chinese party continued today.
The MCA president did not spell out what his party’s exact role is but he denied the MCA is trying to “play hero.”
When asked later what MCA’s role is, party deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said it is to defend Chinese Malaysians.
“If Nazri as a senior minister doesn’t know the role of MCA, then it’s rather unfortunate,” Dr Chua told reporters today.
“We don’t want to play hero. Whoever wants to play hero is some minister’s outburst who doesn’t know the issue,” he added.
Liow echoed Dr Chua’s remarks by saying, “He should know MCA is voicing out over issues involving the Chinese.”
Nazri had mocked Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is also the MCA Youth chief, in the Chinese media for alleging power abuse in the PSD distribution of scholarships and said the deputy minister was merely trying to act like a hero by defending students.
Nazri defended the PSD today, saying its officers are “excellent” and have not been negligent in their duties.
Dr Chua, however, said the PSD scholarship brouhaha was caused by “bureaucratic mistakes” after a discussion with PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Haji Abdullah earlier today.
“The JPA director-general has agreed that all mistakes will be rectified, such as those who asked for Course A (but were) given Course B, those (who) asked for degrees (but were) given diplomas,” said the MCA chief, using the Malay acronym for PSD.
He stressed that all students who obtained 9A+ had received scholarships and that those who complained were likely those who did not “get what they wanted.”
Nazri has said Putrajaya never promised scholarships abroad to all SPM top scorers, but only guaranteed them places in both local and foreign institutions.
Nazri, who is in charge of the PSD scholarships, agreed that the government had allocated 1,500 overseas scholarships to top students but stressed that of the total, only 300 were given based entirely on merit to students scoring straight 9A+.
The remaining 1,200 overseas grants, he said, were distributed according to four categories — Sabah Bumiputeras (five per cent), Sarawak Bumiputeras (five per cent), social composition or the population’s racial composition (60 per cent) and the socially handicapped (10 per cent).
“If Perkasa doesn’t understand that, don’t talk,” said Dr Chua, referring to the quotas that have already been set for PSD overseas scholarships.
The Malay rights group charged yesterday that Malay students were the ones who were losing out when it came to receiving scholarships.
Dr Chua denies the MCA is trying to “play hero.” — file pic
The MCA president did not spell out what his party’s exact role is but he denied the MCA is trying to “play hero.”
When asked later what MCA’s role is, party deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said it is to defend Chinese Malaysians.
“If Nazri as a senior minister doesn’t know the role of MCA, then it’s rather unfortunate,” Dr Chua told reporters today.
“We don’t want to play hero. Whoever wants to play hero is some minister’s outburst who doesn’t know the issue,” he added.
Liow echoed Dr Chua’s remarks by saying, “He should know MCA is voicing out over issues involving the Chinese.”
Nazri had mocked Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is also the MCA Youth chief, in the Chinese media for alleging power abuse in the PSD distribution of scholarships and said the deputy minister was merely trying to act like a hero by defending students.
Nazri defended the PSD today, saying its officers are “excellent” and have not been negligent in their duties.
Dr Chua, however, said the PSD scholarship brouhaha was caused by “bureaucratic mistakes” after a discussion with PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Haji Abdullah earlier today.
“The JPA director-general has agreed that all mistakes will be rectified, such as those who asked for Course A (but were) given Course B, those (who) asked for degrees (but were) given diplomas,” said the MCA chief, using the Malay acronym for PSD.
He stressed that all students who obtained 9A+ had received scholarships and that those who complained were likely those who did not “get what they wanted.”
Nazri has said Putrajaya never promised scholarships abroad to all SPM top scorers, but only guaranteed them places in both local and foreign institutions.
Nazri, who is in charge of the PSD scholarships, agreed that the government had allocated 1,500 overseas scholarships to top students but stressed that of the total, only 300 were given based entirely on merit to students scoring straight 9A+.
The remaining 1,200 overseas grants, he said, were distributed according to four categories — Sabah Bumiputeras (five per cent), Sarawak Bumiputeras (five per cent), social composition or the population’s racial composition (60 per cent) and the socially handicapped (10 per cent).
“If Perkasa doesn’t understand that, don’t talk,” said Dr Chua, referring to the quotas that have already been set for PSD overseas scholarships.
The Malay rights group charged yesterday that Malay students were the ones who were losing out when it came to receiving scholarships.
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