Every year at this time, when government scholarships are awarded, there is a lot of heartbreak for students with exemplary SPM results. The same drama is repeated every year and despite the obvious lack of transparency in the selection criteria, the authorities don't seem to care or simply don't give a damn about it.

From the media hue and cry, it is quite obvious that the affected parties are always the non-bumiputera students. The silence from the bumiputera students can only mean that they are quite happy with the selection criteria.

Frankly I don't know what kind of message our government is sending to these young, intelligent Malaysians who have attained brilliant, excellent academic results. We are talking about the cream of the Malaysian students.

Students who have managed to obtain 12, 13 straight As are being denied scholarships to do courses of their choice. As one student succinctly put it, 'the government wants us to love our country and be patriotic but is this their way of winning our love?'

The present government policy has created a generation of bitter, angry Malaysians. In order to garner loyalty and patriotism from its citizenry, the government has to earn it. It doesn't come served on a silver platter. The government cannot expect its citizens to remain loyal and patriotic when it treats the former with contempt.

I wish the government has the opportunity to hear the angry voices of these parents and students. Any government worth its salt would take heed of them. It would ignore these angry cries at its own peril.