News that the Public Service Department (JPA) has suspended scholarships in light of falling government revenue has gotten Malaysians fuming.
For many who commented on Malaysiakini 's social media pages on the matter, it is proof of poor governance at the rakyat's expense.
Most damning, they said, is the fact that the Najib administration has purchased private jets for VVIP use, but are cutting funds meant for the nation's most prized assets - its brightest students.
"Budget allocation for education should never be cut, only as a last resort.
"Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should sell off all (VVIP) jets and take commercial flights.
"That should fund the education of many of our human assets who are needed to run the country in the future," Malaysiakini Facebook follower Pauline Lee said.
Ong Tang Kook agreed, questioning Prime Minister Najib's decision to have such a large cabinet.
"You have money to purchase a private jet and fund a big cabinet team with overlapping functions, but no money for the education of our future generation?
"Mr PM, what are you doing? Please do something good for the nation so people will remember you like they do your dad," he said, referring to second premier Abdul Razak Hussein.
Others like Malaysiakini Twitter followers Kamaruddin M Yusuff (@mykamar77) and Izz Kerr (@izzkerr) believe the ministers are the ones who should first take a pay cut.
"This is the worst blunder by the government, indicating wrong priority and poor management. The PM's Office should face the cut!" Kamaruddin said.
Can afford astronaut but...
Najib at the cabinet meeting yesterday reportedly told the JPA to look into alternatives after deputy minister Wee Ka Siong raised the question of scholarship suspensions, which would jeopardise 700 students who have secured places to study locally and abroad.
"The only good thing that was left to say about our government is the sponsorship it gives for education, because not every government in the world does that.
"But now, wow. You've outdone yourself, Malaysia," Facebook user Amalina Rahman said.
Others, like Jeffrey Ma noted that Malaysia should not be in this position given its wealth of resources.
"A country blessed with so much natural resources but ends up not being able to afford scholarships.
"Singapore has nothing but every year the government gives scholarships for local and foreign students.
"The funny thing is Putrajaya has no money for scholarships but managed to send an astronaut (to space)," he said.
Although student Yin Xin Hoe is not a JPA scholar, she cannot help but feel the pain her fellow students are experiencing.
Now enjoying free tertiary education in Germany, she shared how she is doing so despite not paying income tax to the German government.
Nor was she top of her class in school, she said.
"And at the same time, my country cannot even offer scholarships for those students who deserve it.
"Dear government, do you actually care for anak-anak (children of) Malaysia?" she asked.
Suspending scholarship for Malaysia's top human capital will only backfire on the nation's aim to be a developed nation, said Kevin Meng.
"Shopping comes before education? Developed nation by 2020 with what? Thank you BN," he said.
Even Mara affected
The discussion also took on a racial flavour with some pointing out that the JPA scholarship is one of the very few ways for top scoring non-bumiputera students to obtain full sponsorship from the state.
This is unlike bumiputera students who have access to Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) sponsorship, they said.
However, others note that even Mara is cutting back, offering only study loans.
Mara student loan recipients can only have their loans converted into scholarships if they obtain high grades in university.
"Why JPA only? The affected ones are mostly non-bumiputera students who are actually most qualified with their hard-earned examination results.
"Many of these non-bumiputera students are not from well-to-do families and getting tertiary education is the only way for them to get out of poverty, improve their quality of life and contribute to society," Wenxi Fu said.
While most see the move as dreadful, there are few who see a silver lining.
"It's also a good thing. At least, the cream will get to study in local universities. [...]
"What I'm trying to say is we should keep our best students in the country so that these students can help the local institutions fight toe-to-toe with other more reputable institutions from other countries," a Facebook user Gitar Rock said.
The discussion is still raging on. Join the conversation at Malaysiakini' s Facebook page , on Twitter ( @malaysiakini ), or email your thoughts to [email protected] .
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