Who is Really Taking the Racial Approach in Dealing with the Scholarship Issue? Isn’t it Khairy Himself? (Statement in English and Chinese)

Media statement by DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) National Chairman and MP for Rasah Loke Siew Fook on Tuesday, 19 May 2009, at Petaling Jaya:

DAPSY is surprised and perplexed by BN Youth and UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s statement that the racial angle should not be taken in handling the PSD scholarship rejection issue. Khairy has also used a possible case of a Malay top scorer being denied the PSD overseas scholarship as an example to prove a point that the issue affects top scorers of all races.

I wonder, to whom is Khairy’s plea directed? Many wakil rakyats, organizations, and commentators, as well as DAPSY leaders, have made their points regarding the issue of SPM top scorers being denied PSD overseas scholarships. None of us has included race in our arguments.

Those who have spoken up on this issue are doing it on behalf of the bright students in search of justice and proper responses from the authorities. We are basing our arguments on their excellent academic achievements, not on their racial backgrounds.

DAPSY’s Memorandum to the Prime Minister on PSD Scholarships

On May 18, 2009 (Monday), a DAPSY delegation led by National Chairman Loke Siew Fook handed over a memorandum on the PSD Scholarship Issue to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the PM’s Office.

The memorandum includes DAPSY’s suggestions to the cabinet on how to resolve the matter. They are:

• Set up a special committee by this Wednesday’s cabinet meeting to study and reconsider every complaint from each 2008 SPM top scorer.
• Ensure that applications from students who score at least 10A1s will be given fair consideration.
• the number of scholarships should be increased if necessary.
• Revamp the scholar selection system thoroughly.
• Ensure that each applicant receives a detailed report on why they succeed or fail in obtaining the scholarhip.
• Limit the numbers of papers a student should sit for in SPM to 10 so that everyone can be judged fairly and that instances in which a 9A1 student is favoured as compared to a 13A1 student can be avoided.

Below is the original memorandum in Bahasa Malaysia: