Taxpayers fund scholarships, students remind PSD

Youth groups and Public Service Department (PSD) scholars have slammed the directive barring PSD scholars from openly criticising the government, highlighting that taxpayers are the ones who fund the scholarships.

PSD secretary-general Zainal Rahim Seman reportedly said it was "appropriate to revoke scholarships" of PSD scholars who criticise the government, including on social media platforms.

“The action of PSD has clearly proven that they have totally forgotten that citizens are the ones supporting the public fund (for scholarships)... people pay taxes to support it.

“Thus PSD’s intention to use money to silence or intimidate students against criticising the government is totally unacceptable,” Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president Kon Hua En said.

Kon criticised the PSD for disregarding academic freedom and said the main purpose of scholarships was to produce critical-minded and ethical graduates, not robots.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's Youth wing executive council member Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir echoed Kon’s statement.

“Scholarships should not be used to birth a generation of robots among the educated ones or to silence them… instead we need to encourage scholars to think critically.

“This is a draconian threat (against scholars) and it makes an enemy of the Federal Constitution… where freedom of speech of the rakyat is enshrined,” Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim said.

Article 10 (1)(a) of the Federal Constitution states that “every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression”.

He added that the government’s Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) initiative for townhall sessions, set up as an avenue for young Malaysians to engage in nation-building, would not be fully effective if the government was only interested in hearing views from a minority.

'A cheap threat'

Anis Syafiqah Mohd Yusof, the president of the Malaysian Students Association (Kesatuan) and spokesperson for the Tangkap Malaysian Official 1 or #TangkapMO1 rally last August, was also critical of the restrictions.

“This is a cheap threat against students. The views of students should in fact be used to as an element of check and balance to improve administration of the nation.

“In TN50, a lot was said about moving forward as a nation by getting views from students. If so, the government should take into account critical views, not just praise and approval,” Anis Syafiqah (photo) added.

Several PSD scholars also echoed these views, though none wanted to be named for fear of the repercussions Zainal Rahim warned the students of.

“Doesn’t TN50 say they want the voices of the youth? Are JPA scholars not youth?" one scholar based in Melbourne, Australia, said, referring to the PSD by its Bahasa Malaysia acronym.

“The government must acknowledge its issues and mistakes. And if there really is so much misunderstandings (that are causing people to criticise the government), is it because there is a lack of transparency in the government?” the scholar asked.

'Fear-mongering'

Another scholar based in Queensland, Australia, said the directive is “analogous to fear-mongering”.

“It discourages honest expression and much needed discourse. Although it is understandable that we scholars are sort of under the government and should uphold the country’s image, it still does not mean that we can’t voice out the legitimate concerns we have,” the scholar said.

Another scholar said the warning breaches the rights of citizens, as “a healthy democracy thrives on public criticism of government”.

The warning to PSD scholars is reminiscent of the Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid's (photo) call for teachers who "discredited the government" to resign from the civil service, Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim said.

This, along with the restrictions on JPA scholars, showed the “autocratic nature of the government”, he said.

PSD scholarships this year will only be applicable at local tertiary institutions, unlike past years where recipients were able to study at tertiary institutions overseas as well.

This is due to revenue constraints faced by the government as a result of the fall in oil prices, the government had said.

However, the top 20 SPM scorers will be sponsored to pursue their studies in any university in the world, while those who score at least 7As can compete for 200 scholarships to pursue engineering degrees in selected institutions in Japan, Germany, France or South Korea.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman in a written reply to Parliament last month said the government saves RM240 million a year by cancelling 744 scholarships for overseas studies.- Mkini