PSD To Sponsor All Students Obtaining 9As?

I saw a news article in The Star today entitled "PSD to offer scholarships to all SPM students with 9As". Can't you believe it? A lot of people I know obtained at least 9As in their 2007 SPM. But what's the catch? Here is what was reported by The Star and other media organisations:

The Star

PSD scholarships for SPM students with 9As

PETALING JAYA: The Public Service Department (PSD) will offer scholarships to all students who scored 9As in their SPM examinations last year, regardless of background, to study Form Six in fully-aided schools.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said students who do matriculation, including those in Universiti Malaya’s Science Preparatory Centre and International Islamic University’s matriculation programme, would also be offered scholarships.

These students will also be sponsored for their first degree if they do it in a local university, he said in a statement yesterday.

Sidek said the PSD would also sponsor such students if they obtained places in an Ivy League or equivalent university.

Top-scoring students who get a place in a Malaysian branch of a foreign university such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne Unversity will also be offered scholarships.

On top of this, Sidek said the PSD would offer scholarships to 2,000 students for overseas studies and a further 10,000 for studies in local universities.

He said the scholarships were being offered in line with the Government’s efforts to develop human capital.

He said the Government was aware that the number of high achievers is growing every year. Yet, not every student would have a chance to get Government sponsorship.

“The Government realises that high achievers are assets.

“As such, it has introduced the initiative to increase the number of scholarships where students of any background will be offered as long as they satisfy the SPM 9A score condition,” he said.

The move, Sidek added, would indirectly encourage these high achievers to further their education in local universities.

The New Straits Times (NST)

Govt scholarships for all with at least 9As in SPM

KUALA LUMPUR: Students who scored 9As and above in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination will be sponsored up to their bachelor's degrees at local universities.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said the government had decided to increase the number of scholarships because outstanding students were the nation's future assets.

"The number of students who obtain excellent results in all SPM subjects is rising every year but not all of them are able to obtain scholarships as the number is limited.

"Realising that these outstanding students are the nation's assets, the government has taken the initiative to provide scholarships to all students with at least 9As, regardless of background," he said yesterday.

"This move will indirectly attract good students to further their studies at local universities, which will also help to raise the standard of higher education in Malaysia."

Those furthering their studies to Form Six at government-assisted schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, including the Centre for Foundation Studies in Science at Universiti Malaya and the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa matriculation programme, will stand to benefit from the offer.

"Students who have obtained places in Ivy League-standard foreign universities and local campuses of foreign institutions such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University will also be sponsored," said Sidek.

The measures, he said, were consistent with government initiatives to develop skilled human capital.

The government will be sponsoring 2,000 students under its Overseas Degree Programme this year and another 10,000 students at public universities under the Domestic Degree Programme.

Both reports are very vague and confusing in their reporting. Do students have to take Form Six, matriculation and other programmes by the Government in order to qualify for this scholarship? What about those already studying in local private colleges and universities like Nottingham and Curtin in Malaysian campuses? They did mention ALL students! A report by Bernama on this subject is better in the sense that it clears up these issues.

Bernama

PSD To Sponsor All Students Obtaining 9As In 2007 SPM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama) -- The Public Service Department (PSD) will sponsor all students who obtained 9As or better in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

This is in addition to the 2,000 students under the Overseas Degree Programme and 10,000 under the Local Degree Programme, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan says in a statement.

The sponsorship will be given to students undergoing Form Six at government schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, Universiti Malaya's Pre-Science Centre and International Islamic University Malaysia's Matriculation.

It will continue up to the first degree-level at local universities and extended to those who have obtained seats at Ivy League universities overseas and foreign university campuses in Malaysia like Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University.

Based on the above report (and my interpretation of it), the sponsorship will be given to students who will be undergoing Pre-U studies at government schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, Universiti Malaya's Pre-Science Centre and International Islamic University Malaysia's Matriculation this year (yeah, that's the catch). After completing their studies, the scholarship will continue for those taking first degree-level at local universities and foreign university campuses in Malaysia like Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University. Moreover, those who have obtained seats at Ivy League universities overseas will be also sponsored.

There are other questions that remain unanswered like "What is it meant by 'sponsor'?", "Is it a full scholarship?", "How are students going to know whether they are given this scholarship?" and "Do students need to apply for it or they will get it automatically?". I think these questions will be answered in due time. The most important thing the government is trying to do now is to get students to study in government-aided schools and institutions.

For 2007 From 5 students, it is another hard time rethinking whether they should continue into Form Six (and others mentioned) or study at a private university or college. Many have already decided on this before the announcement by PSD. Are they willing to sacrifice the luxury of studying in private institutions in order to gain this scholarship? And for those already planning to study From Six, they have to think of the increased competition they have to face when entering the universities covered by this scholarship after getting their STPM results.