Finally, the 5 Gets PSD Scholarships

SUDAH BERJAYA

The Public Services Department has finally offered scholarships to the five SPM top scorers who initially failed in their bid after the Prime Minister and Education Minister had intervened.

And the good news is delivered personally by MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting to the three of them - Ng Ee Liang, Desmond Chee and Khaw Chok Tong. All three will do medicine in Australia.

Another candidate, Chew Ying Dee will take up pharmacy in Britain while Teoh Wan Ying was offered to do actuarial science in the United States.

Except for Khaw, who top-scored in Pahang with 12 1As, the other students had all achieved 13 1As in the SPM examination.

In the words of blogger Jeff Ooi, "The rejection-appeal-approval circus has become an annual ritual that Malaysia habitually goes through to atrocise and, later, solemnise meritocracy. You can't reward meritocracy with tokenism to the extent that the Prime Minister is made the annual high priest who appeases the merit-abusers. Let's pray, but I weep for Malaysia."

Will this similar episode repeat itself again next year??? Is PSD able to perform without the PM's & Education Minister's intervention?

This is the Prime Minister message to them yesterday:

"Civil servants must carry out self-assessments so that they can push for excellence."

Pointing out that the civil servants, particluarly, the PSD, should not rest on their laurels or be easily satisfied with their [so little, so late] achievements, Pak Lah said they must raise the benchmark for excellence, as that was the only way to better their service and performance.

"All of you must also possess mental, physical and spiritual strength besides being educated, knowledgeable and skilful."

"Only then we can say that you have achieved the height of excellence," Pak Lah said before presenting excellence service awards to 137 Finance Ministry staff members here yesterday.

Abdullah, who is also the Finance Minister, urged employees in the ministry and its agencies to observe high moral values and strong discipline.

“As they say, all roads lead to the Treasury because this is where the money is.

“So it is imperative for you and all the agencies under the ministry to be disciplined,” he said, adding that they must always bear in mind the ministry’s role as a catalyst for growth and development.