In a statement, JPA said this decision was made to enable the students to gain work experience and skills abroad before returning to serve the country.

“Applications can be submitted starting from Feb 15 through the website https://myself.jpa.gov.my,” it said.

However, permission to work abroad is based on applications submitted by final year students studying for their bachelor’s degree and is not granted automatically.

“The deferred period for working abroad shall not exceed three years,” JPA said.

The students are still required to repay the scholarship amount in monthly instalments during the deferred period.

“The duration of working abroad shall be counted towards the bond service period as stipulated in the respective scholarship agreements,” it said.

Any adjustments to the repayment of the scholarship amount are only permitted for students who have found employment locally.