PSD plans to be more transparent in awarding scholarships

PSD Plans To Be More Transparent In Awarding Scholarships



PUTRAJAYA, May 28 (Bernama) -- The Public Service Department (PSD) plans to be more transparent in giving scholarships by stating the reasons if the applicants fail to get them. Its director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said presently the unsuccessful applicants would only be that they failed in their applications without being given the reasons.

"The applicants usually fail when they score a low percentage in co-curricular involvement, family economic background or performance during the interview although they have excellent academic results.

"They must also bear in mind the stiff competition among them while the places for study are limited at the foreign universities.

"For instance, 1,838 applicants for medical studies abroad were called for interview but only 530 places were available, so it means the best 530 applicants get the scholarships," he told reporters at his office here Wednesday.

"How could you get high marks for co-curriculum when you only represented your House in school? And how could you score high marks during the interview when you showed little self-confidence and could not communicate well?"

Eligibility for a PSD scholarship is based on the formula of 70 percent of the marks allocated for academic performance and 10 percent each for co-curricular involvement, family's economic background and interview performance.

The PSD has offered 2,000 scholarships worth RM1.7 billion for degree studies abroad and another 10,000 scholarships worth RM518 million for degree courses at the local universities.

"It is not the end of the road if you fail to get a scholarship to study overseas as you can still get a scholarship to study at a university or to even do Form Six.

"Work hard. There is life after SPM. Some got into Oxford University but turned out to be something else later. Some people become successful at a later stage of their life," he said.

"As for the 151 students, comprising 34 Bumiputeras and 117 non-Bumiputeras, who scored 10A1's in their SPM and whose family monthly income is less RM1,500, they should almost automatically get the PSD scholarships.

"I said almost automatically, not automatically, because if a student applies to do medicine but is visually impaired, how can he or she be a doctor?" he added.