86 top scorers to be placed in local private varsities

The 86 top scorers in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia who previously failed to get overseas university spots will now be offered twinning programmes in local private universities under the Public Services Department (PSD) scholarships.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz (left) said it was decided at the cabinet meeting this morning that the top flight students will be given spots in private institutions, which will also take them overseas eventually.

“For the moment, if we send them to the local universities with courses that they are not happy with and we keep them there, it will cost us RM14.8 million. If we send them overseas, the cost will increase to RM52.1 million.

“But if we were to offer them places at the private universities, according to the discipline they have requested, it will cost us RM21.6 million,” he told a press conference in Parliament today.

For this year, 1,500 top students have already been given full PSD scholarships to study in overseas universities.

However, NGOs, politicians, disappointed students and irate parents complained when other top flight students could not obtain scholarships to further their studies abroad.

IMDB scholarships 

Among the 86 9A+ scorers, the favourite course is still medicine, with 34 applicants, followed by engineering and pharmaceutical studies. 

They will be given places at various local private universities, such as Monash University Sunway, International Medical University in Bukit Jalil and Multimedia University in Cyberjaya.

"I've showed the list to (Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai) and (Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam), and they're very happy because this meets the request of the students," said Nazri.

Liow (from MCA) and Subramaniam (MIC) had taken the students' complaints to the cabinet.

Nazri also said he has been tasked with chairing a committee to award other top scorers with scholarships for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) fund.

"The prime minister wants me to chair a meeting with Liow, Subramaniam, (Minister in Prime Minister's Department) Koh Tsu Koon and other ministers from other component parties to sit and list down the students who received good results to be sponsored by 1MDB at local universities," he said, adding that there are at least 500 openings.

Last year, 300 SPM and 30 STPM finishers received a total of RM16 million in scholarships and academic grants from the 1MDB.