Allow me to commenon the letter Scholarships: Politicians' kids not a factor in 'bonding' . From the point of view of a privately-sponsored medical student studying overseas', things are very clear indeed.

It is obvious that government-funded students studying overseas who are not bonded would certainly choose not to go back to 'serve their country'. Who would want to when they have the opportunity to earn more money and enjoy better incentives?

It is true that doctors' salaries in certain Western countries are heavily taxed (at about 45 percent) and that indemnity insurance premiums are high. However, the fact of the matter is that a salary earned in pounds/euros is undoubtedly higher in value than on earned in ringgit. Doctors are also compensated for the high living costs.

Let me further clarify whether 'five or seven years' is needed to complete a medical course. The duration required in UK/Ireland is usually five years. However, let us not forget to include the two years for pre-university programmes that most, if not all government-sponsored students go through to get them into medical schools.

These are specially-tailored programmes, often at private colleges with foreign lecturers. Most of these colleges do not admit privately-sponsored students. I know. I asked.

And let us speak honestly about the 'merit system' for admission into medical courses overseas. It only exists to a certain extent. Hypothetical situation- say there are 20 spaces allotted for Malaysian medical students at a particular foreign university. You can be assured that most of them will go to government-sponsored students.

Walk into any medical school in the Republic of Ireland and you will see that 90 percent (if not more) of the Malaysian students there are government-sponsored. Needless to say, universities like government-sponsored students - they are money assured, pass or fail.

But this means that non-sponsored students will have to obtain better grades, a better interview to get into foreign medical courses. Government-sponsored medical students, meanwhile, cruise through their pre-university courses, like the International Baccalaureate (IB), which I am told is quite easy to pass.

So what is this merit system do we speak of? Foreign universities have to turn away well- deserving privately-sponsored students simply because there is not enough places for us. So let's just save the preaching about 'fairness' for those who don't know better.