COMMENT I wish to make clear the fact I was, and still am grateful that the Public Service Department (JPA) introduced this bursary scheme three years ago. It is an effort by the government to recognise young potentials based on the principles of meritocracy.

This is not a demand nor a condemnation, but a plea. I first got to know of this scheme in Form 3. Ever since then, I have set my dreams and hopes on securing this scholarship by obtaining 9A+ in the SPM.

I believe this is the typical story for many of us aiming for the bursary.

Now, I hope they can maintain this scheme for us. Our A-Level results came out on Jan 13. There was no other way for us to obtain an unconditional offer letter from any Australian university any earlier than that.

Monash University, Australia provided me an unconditional offer letter on Jan 14. On that very same day, the link for us to register ourselves at the JPA website (e-Profiling) was suddenly removed and made inaccessible with no prior warning.

Within the next few days, it was announced that the whole JPA scholarship scheme was on hold.

Suddenly, everything became uncertain. The date of enrolment at Monash is Feb 15. There are still tons of documents to acquire in preparation for going to Australia.

I had just set my mind on the fact I had achieved my goal, that I had secured the long sought after scholarship to study the course of my preference after five years of hard work.

However, on that very same day, that hope suddenly dimmed. Now, we are all made to wait in anxiety and uncertainty.

Worse still, we are haunted by the fact that even though a favourable decision may come at the end, it might come too late in February, way past the deadline for our acceptance of the offers from Australian universities.

Deadlines have long expired

Without the scholarship, most of us will have to forgo the opportunity to study overseas. We will have to start the application process for local universities all over again.

But then, with the local public universities’ current preference over matriculation rather than A-Levels, we do not stand much chance in securing a place.

What was frustrating was the timing of the decision. True, there are other scholarships out there but some of these scholarship applications had deadlines that have long expired.

How now, shall we proceed on with our future?

It is true that no one is responsible for our education and our future but we ourselves. However, please consider the fact that this scholarship is what we had all ridden all our hopes on for the last five years.

We studied hard just to secure it and now it is suddenly put on hold for no reason and with no prior warning. We had to forgo the chance to apply for other scholarships upon completion of the SPM.

We had placed out trust in JPA and the bursary scheme. I understand that the current economic situation is bad and you are doing what is best for the country, but please do not sacrifice the education of the young people who will eventually become the future leaders of our beloved nation.

I hope, with this article more people will know of our situation and the limbo we are cast in.

Please take a picture of yourself with the hashtags below or just help to share this article. Every effort counts. Thank you.

#EducationisPriority

#FutureofMalaysia

KELVIN LOW is a Malaysian student.