Govt to study increase of non-bumi PSD scholarship quota - The Star

By Izatun Shari

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will study the move by the Public Services Department to increase the scholarship quota for non-bumiputras to 45%.

"We will look at it first," Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters Wednesday after launching a book titled Ibrahim Pahlawan Melayu written by former Armed Forces Chief Jen (Rtd) Tun Ibrahim Ismail at the Defence Ministry here.

Najib was asked to comment on the move by PSD to increase the scholarship quota for non-bumiputra from 10% to 45%, which had created dissatisfaction among certain quarters including the Federation of Peninsula Malay Students (GPMS).

GPMS president Datuk Reezal Naina Merican called for the Government to review the move saying that it should be re-evaluated and scrutinised thoroughly.

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin who is MP for Rembau questioned the move saying that the quota was determined at the discretion of Yang di-Pertuan Agong who had the absolute power over the matter according to Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) vice chancellor Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad, who is former education director also questioned the basis of the department's calculation when raising the quota and whether it considered the racial composition.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/9/nation/20080709140447&sec=nation]