KUCHING: Another SPM holder who suffered the same fate as bright student Selwyn Jong whose plight was reported yesterday, came forward to express similar disappointment with the Public Service Department (JPA).
Chieng Kai Wen of SMK Batu Lintang, who obtained 9A+ and 1A in SPM 2010, claimed that JPA reneged on its promise to reward all straight A+ students with scholarships under the Program Ijazah Luar Negara.
He said his brother who obtained 11A+ has been granted a scholarship for his study in USM.
Both Chieng and Jong had applied to JPA to pursue a foundation course in medicine in any university with a scholarship but JPA only offered them matriculation courses.
Both of them said the matriculation course was not only inferior but also a double offer because they had been offered this even before their SPM results were announced.
Jong even claimed that matriculation does not necessarily guarantee a place in the university and/or a scholarship.
He was also upset because his friends and acquaintances who scored the same result have been given university placing.
He said his sisters who experienced the same problem are now in Singapore. Vida is working while Verene is a first year chemical engineering student.
Both Chieng and Jong met up with Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen, who is Democratic Action Party (DAP) state secretary, for assistance yesterday.
Chong said he promised to bring up their cases to JPA by writing letters to them.
He claimed that the students could not appeal their cases online because the “appeal click” on JPA website was disabled.
He urged the government to be more aggressive in assisting bright students, otherwise the country’s brain drain problem would be worsened and that foreign direct investment would be dwindling further.
Investors would not be attracted to countries that are lacking in talent, he added.
On May 6 this year, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai was quoted as saying that Prime Minister was very happy with the 2010 SPM results and that he wanted to reward more good students.
The Cabinet has decided that all students who scored 8A+ and above in the 2010 SPM will get a JPA (Public Service Department) scholarship.
In July last year, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that scholarships would be offered to SPM students who obtained at least 9A+.