Letters
by A student
Dear YB,
I have some question to ask on JPA Scholarship which I don’t understand.
1. Perkongsian kuasa dengan kaum-kaum lain di dalam pilihan raya 1955 membuktikan bahawa
i. orang melayu berupaya menwujudkan perpaduan antara kaum
ii. tindakan pemimpin pada masa itu adalah keterlaluan
iii. orang melayu sanggup berkorban demi mencapai kemerdekaan
iv. orang bukan melayu terhutang budi kepada orang melayu
– This is the sample question of “mock examination” for JPA Scholar students who are to be sent to Canada sponsored by JPA. The choice number iv. is most racist and offensive, as without Orang Bukan Melayu, i.e. Chinese and Indians, Malaysia won’t get independence.
2.Why government spends (sponsored) almost RM 500,000 for a student to study at Canada?
– For so many years, we keep increasing the number of students who get JPA scholarships to study overseas. Is Malaysia getting better day by day with so many “scholars” being sent overseas?
3. Before students get JPA scholarship to Canada University, they have to study a year of Canadian Pre-University at Taylor’s University College. They need to get an average of 6 subjects with at least 80% to qualify them to study in Canada for the following years.
a. After completing Canadian Pre-University, some scholars do not get 80% and above and are blocked from studying overseas.
b. Is a private student (not JPA sponsored student) who might not have done well in SPM but can get 80% and above in Canadian Pre-University qualified to apply for JPA Scholarship to study overseas?
4. Why can’t our government (JPA) stop sending student overseas but use the money to hire good lecturers from overseas to teach at local University?
a. Government had sent so many students overseas for so many years but Malaysia didn’t look better than yesterday which means this system FAILED.
b. Hiring good lecturers to teach at local university, more students will have opportunity to get better knowledge because the costs are much cheaper.
5. What can the students sponsored using taxpayers’ money do for Malaysian after they graduate?
a. I being told that they had to sign contract that they will work with JPA for few year if there are jobs suitable for them.
b. Under the racist system for so many years, lots of JPA sponsored students already think of working overseas next time or even getting PR from other country! (especially Chinese because they feel that they being discriminated by some policy)
c. Is it worth to invest so much money on the students?
6. If students who get JPA scholarships are categorised as “smart” students, why can’t government send them to Local University to improve the rating of our own University? Is it worth sending our “experts” to make other’s university much better than Malaysia?
7. JPA scholars to Canada sent to study a year of Canadian Pre-University at Taylor’s University College which cost about RM 16k per student. This means that our government knows that Canadian Pre-University is better than Malaysia Pre-University.
a. Why can’t government implement the Canadian system (70% Course Works and 30% exam) into our STPM which is also Malaysian Pre-University? Because government know that their system is better than Malaysia so that government send scholar for this pre-university. If the system is implemented for STPM, more Malaysians can afford to get the better education. Why can’t government change our STPM system which is 100% exam?
8. Some parents always work hard to make sure their children will get the best education in the future. But there are parents who still cannot afford to send their children overseas for education because they have to use their money to pay Income Tax.
a. I am very sad because part of their money being spent to sponsor others people’s children to study overseas while we have to study locally because our dad’s money being used to pay income tax.
b. What are so special about them? Because they score many ‘A’ in SPM? Students who didn’t score many A didn’t mean they didn’t work hard, it might be because of the system not suitable for them.
c. We are willing to pay income tax if the money are used to help us or all Malaysians to get best education, not some only (which is JPA scholar in this case. )