Justine Jason Barnabas, a representative of some 150 students, said he met with Najib on June 2, pleading for a revival of the Renowned University Programme, also known as the JPA Ivy League Setara Scholarship.
Their plea came following the Public Services Department’s (JPA) decision to pull the plug on overseas scholarships on Jan 20, citing shrinking government revenue.
“I suggested for at least 30 of us to be given funding under the Ivy League programme, and the selection can be based on several processes, including an interview,” Barnabas told a press conference at the PKR headquarters here today.
In the proposal he handed over to Najib, the 20-year-old listed the breakdown of the costs needed to sponsor 30 of these students who had secured a placement in top universities worldwide.
Najib’s response, Barnabas added, was that he had to analyse the budget and discuss the proposal with his advisers before making a decision.
Barnabas himself was offered a place in the University of California, Los Angeles, to pursue an undergraduate degree in economics.
PKR Vice-President Nurul Izzah Anwar, who coordinated the press conference, called on Najib and the education minister to reach out to the private sector and rectify the situation for at least the present batch of students, who were earlier promised scholarships to top universities abroad.
“While we acknowledge the possible merits of having our students study locally, the opportunity to study in foreign countries should not be forsaken in its entirety.”
She also urged Najib to respond to the students immediately and said she would personally send a letter pressuring the prime minister to act accordingly.
The Lembah Pantai MP also suggested that if the government cared little for the future of these students, those from the private sectors should step up to the plate and assist the students financially.
“The private sector should reinvigorate its efforts to provide sponsorship for these students. This would be an investment in the education sector for the future of the country.”
This year, 744 JPA scholars were informed that the government could no longer send them to study abroad as their budget for scholarships had been slashed due to acute financial difficulties. It explained that halting the Ivy League scholarship programme would save the country RM240 million in expenditure.