DAP has questioned the Public Service Department's (JPA) decision to change its scholarship policy starting this year to a loan model, with students having to repay the loan unless they go into the civil service after graduation.

DAP's Seremban MP Anthony Loke said concerned students and parents had contacted him about the change, prompting him to look into the matter.

The change was confirmed on the JPA website, he found, although a further check showed that there had been no official statement from JPA on the switch from scholarships to loans.

"This is an unfair change of policy. I think this is not right at all," Loke said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

"Changes in policies should not be done just like that, in a rush, without any discussion or public consultations," he added.

According to the website, he said, if JPA graduates chose to work with a government-linked company (GLC), they would have to pay back 50 percent of the loan.

They would have to pay back the full amount if they did not work in the civil service or a GLC.

'Unfair change'

This is an unfair and short-sighted change in policy as only about 20 percent of JPA graduates end up working in the civil service. This is according to statistics provided in a written parliamentary reply several years ago, Loke added.

“There are 11,000 JPA graduates every year. Are they going to absorb all 11,000 of them into the public service every year if they are unable to pay?” he asked.

He said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Wee Ka Siong was reportedly unaware of the issue until he was informed by parents.

"Does this mean this was not a cabinet decision at all? (Was it) just an administrative decision by JPA?" Loke asked.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had announced in the Budget 2016 revision in January that JPA scholarships would only be offered locally and no longer for studies abroad.

Malaysiakini has reached out to JPA for comment. Its corporate communications officer Jaafar Jantan said that it was unable to issue any statement on this matter for now.

However, he did confirm that JPA had changed its scholarship policy to the loan model.