JPA Scholarships

Thanks to my loyal blog reader for sharing this.

This is quoted fully from NST

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NAZRI: Fairer distributiion of scholarships for studies abroad from this year
BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, WED:

There is fairer distribution of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships for all races for degree studies abroad from this year, with 1,100 going to Bumiputeras and 900 to non-Bumiputeras.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the breakdown was 55 percent and 45 percent respectively, compared with only 10 percent for non-Bumiputera students previously.

He said from the 15,220 applicants for scholarships under the programme, 7,282 were called for interviews and only those who could meet the criteria were selected for the scholarships.

The criteria is academic achievement (70 percent), co-curricular involvement (10), family background (10) and interview (10).

Nazri disclosed this when winding up the debate at the committee level on the Supplementary Supply Bill 2008 (2007) in the Dewan Rakyat here today.

— MORE PARLIAMENT-WINDING-UP (PSD) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

He said the PSD sponsorship was for students who had obtained places at Ivy League universities and other institutions of the same level abroad or students doing first degree programmes at foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia, such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University and Swinburne University.

From this year too, those who obtained 9A’s and above in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, would receive PSD scholarships to do Form Six at government schools, or matriculation or basic science course at public higher learning institutions, he added.

Nazri said at the moment, the government had no intention of increasing the number of the scholarships as the scheme depended on the government’s financial capacity.

He said the graduands abroad who chose to work there would indirectly help lessen the unemployment problem in Malaysia.

"They would also have the advantage of gaining experience and enhancing their skills by the time they return home,” he added.

The Dewan Rakyat then passed the Supplementary Bill for the PSD involving an allocation of RM60 million.



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