“The number of study grants for Chinese students in Selangor is terrible low”

Why only 12 Chinese students out of more than 4,000 get student grants from Selangor PR State Government?

Yesterday, I received an email from blogger nkkhoo entitled why “The number of study grants for Chinese students in Selangor is terrible low” and asking for “serious attention to this unfair treatment given to Chinese students by the Selangor Pakatan Government”.

In his email, nkkhoo said:

Dear YB LKS and YB LGE,

I hope both of you as DAP Supremo pay serious attention to this unfair treatment given to Chinese students by the Selangor Pakatan Government.

The total study grants given to students in Selangor is more than 4000, but only 12 Chinese students are in the list. This is terrible wrong compared with treatment given by BN in the past.

The news was released by MCA Selangor (in Chinese) at http://mykampung.sinchew.com.my/node/121939?tid=6

“I do not believe Chinese in Selangor suddenly become the rich people in less than three years after Pakatan took over Selangor.

Please do something quick before Chinese voters turn against DAP and Pakatan.

First let me clarify that I am no “DAP Supremo”.

I forwarded the email to DAP Selangor senior exco Teresa Kok for her attention and I received her prompt reply, viz:

Dear Mr Lim,

The statistics were given by state govt when Exco Dr Halimah and I have press conference on the education loan offered by Selangor state govt few days ago.

I was the one that asked Dr Halimah to do the pc with me, to announce the education loan of Selangor state govt and Yayasan Selangor to the media when I found that there are so few Chinese applicants due to ignorance and other reasons.

If I am not mistaken, there were only 12 Chinese applicants of education loan last year and all 12 of them were given the loan. This means 100 percent approval to all Chinese applicants.

One of the reasons our higher education loan is not popular with Chinese students could be the amount offered is only RM6500, much lower than PTPTN offered by higher education ministry. For those who apply for education loan from the state, they are not allowed to apply for loan or scholarship of other institutions. That’s why the education loan offered by Yayasan Selangor and state govt is not that popular amongst students in Selangor.

Sgor state govt doesn’t impose quota in this education loan. If u look at statistics, Chinese and Indian applicants are not many in past years. That’s the reason I call the press conference to encourage more non-Malays to apply. Looks like my good intention has been twisted by MCA and they turned it into a racial issue to attack Pakatan govt now.

I am using my mobile phone to reply this email, I can’t reply to the sender of that email. Pls fwd this email to him. He can contact me directly if he wants more clarification.

Regards

Teresa Kok

Teresa’s explanation not only explained why there were only 12 Chinese students out of more than 4,000 who get student grants from the Selangor PR State Govermment but exposes the irresponsible tactics of MCA and MCA leaders in trying to twist and expoit this issue for their political ends.

Malaysian Chinese and Indian students, who are grossly under-represented in the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat state government award of study loans although there is no quota imposition in this scheme, should make full use by applying for the study grants available in Selangor state.