Hishamuddin Tells PSD to be Transparent

The Star: PSD Told to Reveal Criteria in Awarding Scholarship


The Star Reports:

The objectives and criteria for awarding Public Services Department scholarships should be made public to avoid confusion and uncertainty among applicants in future, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said. He said that unless this was done, the department would be bombarded with queries from students who had not obtained scholarships despite achieving excellent results. “This seems to be a seasonal problem. But we do not want to face this every year. We do not want to get a few hundred appeals every year from students who feel they did not get the scholarships they deserve,” he said. It should be acknowledged, he added, that the PSD could not award scholarships to all top students as it faced constraints. “That is why the criteria for getting these scholarships are more than just academic performance. This should be made known to the public so that they realise that not everyone can get the scholarships,” he said.

However, in the same interview with Datuk Hishamuddin, the NST report the same message in another way:


NST - Scholarships Not For All

NST Reports:

Some of the country’s brightest students will have to face the fact that they will not receive scholarships to further their studies. Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the Government cannot afford to give scholarships to all students who did very well in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. "The Government does not have that much money to finance all the students, but it will definitely help some of them, especially those deserving and needy cases," he said. He also called on politicians to stop exploiting the situation. The MCA had submitted a list of more than 400 students whose applications were rejected by Public Service Department. Hishammuddin also cautioned students against believing that good grades were the only factor taken into account when awarding scholarships. MCA Youth chairman Datuk Ong Tee Keat said the party had received 472 complaints from students who scored between 8As and 16As but had failed to secure scholarships from the PSD. Ong also said PSD interviews with scholarship applicants should be recorded. "These records could be used as a reference if unsuccessful applicants appeal," he added.

COMMENTS:

From the two report, we can analyze that while the two person were interviewing the same Minister, the message delivered can be viewed in different ways.

The Star reporter had directed his mind to the fact that Hishamuddin wants the PSD to be transparent and to reveal the criteria for selection of scholarship holders.

The NST reporter grasped the message differently. The NST reporter feels that Hishamuddin is emphasizing his points to remind parents that their children may not receive scholarship even if they achieve excellent results in their SPM as the govt cannot afford it. NST further highlighted the fact that: Hishammuddin also cautioned students against believing that good grades were the only factor taken into account when awarding scholarships.

So, from what we read, what can we digest? The two reports are factual. But what is the substantive and operative point of substance that Hishamuddin is driving at?

Journalist writes what they want, and what they want you to read and believe, and the presumption of facts are moulded in accordance with the individual reporter's ideological standpoint. The same message can be transmitted in various forms and directed to achieve the desired objectives of each individual reporters. Sadly, it can be noted that some journalists have graduated without ingrained ethics and are seen to be politically scewed within the maxim of Malaysia-Boleh ideology.