UPDATE – Today’s Star reports that the “The construction will be fully-funded by private companies, with the project cost for each campus not exceeding RM300mil” according to Higher Education Minister. Wow, I wonder which private companies are so benevolent to spend a collective amount of RM3.6 billion, and what’s the catch. And if these are companies with the public as shareholders, then maybe the shareholder should start asking questions on how RM300 million can be better utilised. Maybe should boycott such companies. – END UPDATE.

What would you do if you are a believer in justice, fairness, equality, and pray to God? Build campuses at cost of RM300 million each that would only benefit certain groups, or benefit everyone?

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will build 12 new campuses by 2015, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

He said this was in line with UiTM’s target of having 200,000 students in five years’ time.

The construction of six of the campuses have been approved while the rest are still are at the discussion stage prior to the Cabinet’s approval, he told reporters after the earth-breaking ceremony of UiTM Johor campus in Pasir Gudang here Saturday.

Mohamed Khaled said besides Pasir Gudang, other campuses would be built in Pekan, Dengkil, Tapah, Jasin and Seremban Tiga.

He said each campus, which would be built at the cost of RM300 million, would enrol between 4,000 and 5,000 students while each hostel could accommodate 2,000 students. On the Pasir Gudang campus, he said it would be completed in three years’ time and would offer diploma in engineering (civil, electrical, chemical and mechanical), and diploma in business studies.

12 x RM300 million = Rm3.6 billion for just one group of people. And the rest scrape the bottom of the barrel is it?

Why not build new campuses for UM, UKM, UTM, UTEM, UNIMAP, UPM, USM, UNIMAS, UMS, etc?

Yeah, we support 1Malaysia.

On an hindsight, I think 1Malaysia is the most misused and abused word in Malaysia, at the moment. Everything also, shout 1Malaysia. Get something, its due 1Malaysia. Don’t get something, say not following 1Malaysia. Rakyat is smart already 🙂

This was posted today at JPA website. I wonder why the bother replying to the initial comments published in newspapers because the reply doesn’t answer the question! People want to see the list on names and relevant details. Is that so difficult to understand?

The Public Service Department (PSD) specifically refers to the letter “Publish list of JPA scholars” published on 15/6/10 in The Star and other letters related on PSD scholarships generally.

The PSD had announced the application criteria for its 2010 Overseas Sponsorship Programme (PILN) in the major newspapers in January and February this year, in addition to posting these criteria on its website. On 6th April, in his press statement, Y.A.B. Deputy Prime Minister reiterated these criteria as well. Over 18,800 students applied, out of which 10,956 applicants fulfilled the minimum requirements and qualified for the interview process. Of the qualified applicants, 7900 scored all As, in all the subjects they had taken, including 214 students who scored all A+s.

As stated in the PSD website and the statement by YAB DPM, scholarships were given according to the following four categories:

1. Category 1 : Academic Excellence
   Twenty percent of the scholarships were allocated for this category. Applicants under this category were assessed purely on merit based on academic excellence (85%), co-curriculum activities (10%) and performance at the interview (5%). The socio-economic background of the applicants was irrelevant under this category.
2. Category 2: Racial Composition of the Population
   Sixty percent of the scholarships were allocated for applicants streamed under this category. Applicants under this category were assessed based on academic excellence (75%), co-curriculum activities (10%), socio-economic background (10%) and performance at the interview (10%). The selection of scholars reflected the racial composition of the population.
3. Category 3 : Bumiputera Sabah and Sarawak
   Ten percent of the scholarships were reserved for Bumiputera applicants from Sabah (5%) and Sarawak (5%). The selection was done based on academic excellence (65%), co-curriculum activities (5%), socio-economic background (25%) and performance at the interview (5%).
4. Category 4: Socially Disadvantaged Group
   Ten percent of the scholarships were allocated for applicants from schools that lack, or have limited, proper educational facilities and those that hailed from low-income families. The selection was done based on academic excellence (65%), co-curriculum activities (5%), socio-economic background (25%) and performance at the interview (5%).

Outstanding students who were not selected for the PILN 2010 scholarships (given the limited sponsorship of 1500) were offered additional 2000 scholarships to study in local private institutions of higher learning, including local campuses of foreign universities in Malaysia, such as, the Nottingham University, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology and Curtin University of Technology. A notification to this effect was posted on the PSD’s e-SILA website on 16th June.

Apart from the PILN, the PSD will also be offering a local sponsorship programme (Program Ijazah Dalam Negara or PIDN). A total of 8,250 scholarships will be made available under PIDN. These scholarships are for students who have secured places at local institutions of higher learning.

Corporate Communications Unit
Public Service Department Malaysia
18th June 2010