Scholarship: The never ending story

Student seeking for scholarship caught altering results

A FEMALE student, whose appeal for a Public Service Department scholarship is being handled by the MCA, has altered her SPM results from 13 1As and 2 2As, to 15 1As.

China Press reported Negri Sembilan MCA liaison committee chief Datuk Dr Yeow Chai Thiam as saying that a government officer detected the alteration when handling the appeal and informed the party.

Dr Yeow, who is also a senator, said the student’s behaviour had embarrassed the party and tarnished its integrity in the handling of appeal cases on their behalf.

He added that the incident might even affect new appeal cases in the future, the daily said.

Dr Yeow said besides academic excellence, students hoping to be awarded the scholarships should be of good character.

He said MCA leaders usually gave their endorsements to appeals by students without checking their result slips and many did not expect such an act from the student.

Dr Yeow said there were also cases of students who breached their contracts on government scholarships after completing their studies.

“There was a student who was supposed to work with the government for five years after completing his studies.

“However, he quit after working for three years then sought help from MCA to only repay RM60,000 out of the RM150,000 or two years out of the five-year bond,” he said, adding that the student was earning around RM80,000 yearly then.

Dr Yeow said MCA would help submit the letters to the relevant departments but would not interfere with the government’s decision.

-The Star, 30th May 2009
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I have to applaud the recent government's decision to curb the number of subjects the students are allowed to take for their SPM. This business, of who can beat the previous records of getting the most number of A's in the SPM, is getting really really annoying.

As more people are doing so, to take more subjects just to so-called secure his/her scholarship and as more people seem to be able to do it with ease, the number of students who wants to follow suit has grown. In fact, a growing number of people are pressured to do so, just to keep up with the flow. And I bet, sponsors are having hard times to choose and decide who deserve their sponsorship, despite the growing number of excellent students, strictly academic speaking.

So we have people like the one in the news above; willing to do just about anything to impress the sponsors. Yes, in a way it is understandable that in Malaysia, the scholarship scheme is unfair; it favours the Malays. But it doesn't justify such a selfish and self-centered act.

And people have to realise, scholarship isn't just about academic achievement. Wake up! Yes, if you manage to obtain straight, I don't know, 19? 20? A1's, being announced by the Minister of Education as the Best Student in Malaysia, you should expect to get a scholarship without even having to apply for it. But for those who didn't, who only managed to get every single subject being graded as A1 but unfortunately you only took 10 or 11, please, you are not the only one in such a situation. So, what did the sponsors do? They also assessed your extra curricular activities. Either you were a national debater, or simply a bloke who studied every single afternoon in the class when everyone else was outside having fun. Either you were in a student leader group, or a person who knew nothing but Physics and Chemistry. And either you were contributing to the school, be it motivating your peers, making your school proud by representing the state in sporting event or even as simple as helping your teachers organising events and making sure your class is always in proper manner, or you were simply an angry student who only cared how to make your principal and discpline teacher felt miserable. Then only they are able to decide whether you deserve their money or not. Sorry nerds, they are a hell lot of people outside there who are more deserving!

And I know this may sound a little bit hypocritical, but not getting a scholarship is not the end of the world. There is still a lot you can do. If you are focus and resourceful enough, you will not be deterred to achieve your dream, by not getting a scholarship. And for those who manage to secure one, please, do not let it go to waste. If you do, then you are making situation such as described in the news above justified. You are betraying the amanah. You are taking other people's shoes, you are killing her deserving right for the scholarship!

So yes, now that students can't take more than 10 subjects, everyone now can compete on the same ground. No more worries on whether one should take 15 or 17 subjects, just so that BNM would chase after you once the results are announced. No. But with this new policy, everyone will focus more on building up his curriculum vitae. Everyone will compete to contribute to her school or friends. A healthy competetition that is, and if this can be oveseen effectively, I predict Malaysian education system will no longer be ridiculed in the not so nearest future. And it may even be modelled after by I don't know who.

Nevertheless, I do not in any way playing down the importance of having good, no, excellent results. Whatever it is, that should come first. Whatever it is, that is the first thing that sponsors would want to look into. So yes, academic is an utmost import. But that is NOT enough for you to feel comfortable, to guarantee that by next year, you are already in some prepatory college, getting ready to embark for a life-time journey you have been dreaming for. For that, you have to work more. You have to HAVE MORE. No pain, no gain people...!

Let the heat on!

-gabbana-