YOURSAY | “Sadly, Malaysia is a core exporter of talent.”
Umany: STPM top scorer offered direct intake route costing ‘10 times more’
Mazhilamani: The student with outstanding 4.0 CGPA results in STPM, but who was recently denied his course of choice, is Malaysian. So, what is the problem?
If there is inadequate space in public universities, why go out of the way to grant entrance to foreign students? Does it not sound ridiculous?
I call it deprivation. Will other countries reciprocate by offering places to our brilliant students who lost their places?
These foreign students will return home to serve their country, but why must this opportunity be denied to our own students?
Who is to be faulted if a brilliant student cannot accept being denied a place in his home country? Especially a student who lived as a hermit to study and excel at exams, only to be denied a rightful place in a local university.
What greater shame is there when foreign universities are prepared to “adopt” our children and naturalise them later?
Are we implying that we have a wealth of brilliant minds in our country and can afford to lose some?
BrownRabbit3061: There should be an annual audit by the auditor-general on the public university admission process, and it should be published and available to the public since tax money is used to fund the universities.
All race-based admissions must be removed. Let everyone become competitive.
Another option is to give applicants with excellent results, who are from low-income families, priority to choose the course they want.
Applicants from middle-income families will be given a second choice but will pay a small annual fee.
Applicants from well-off families pay a higher annual fee.
Let the best of Malaysia study in Malaysian universities, not be hijacked by other countries.
How on earth are we supposed to retain talent when we cannot even let the best brains in our country choose the course of study they want to enrol in?
Other countries, such as Singapore, may be eyeing STPM top scorer Edward Wong to give him a scholarship, living expenses, accommodation, and other perks.
Knucklehead: Malaysia, where A-grade brains are denied, but cash-loaded foreign students get the red carpet.
We turn away our own top Chinese students – straight-A, born-and-bred Malaysians – because apparently merit is less valuable than foreign currency.
Meanwhile, planeloads of mainland Chinese students are ushered in because they pay 10 times more.
Bravo, we’ve monetised education so well we’ve forgotten it’s supposed to build a nation.
After graduation, they fly home, degrees in hand, ready to boost China‘s economy. Malaysia gets… what, exactly? A warm goodbye and a receipt?
Meanwhile, our own A-grade citizens – disillusioned, sidelined, and insulted – pack their bags and never look back.
We lose talent, and in return, we import labour from Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
At this rate, in 20 years, we’ll be a nation of managers with no one qualified to manage anything.
But hey, at least the tuition fees were paid, right?
MarioT: The simple and stark truth is, systematic deprivation of good education to those who qualify and truly deserve it, while admitting those who do not meet the criteria just because they have special privileges over the others.
The “others” granted places are normally asked to take courses they did not apply for, even though they fully qualify for their selected courses.
Then the government will say, “We have met the quota and beyond, and we have not left any high achievers behind.” This has been happening with previous administrations, and now the present one just tightens the reins.
UB40: Offered admission under the direct intake system “Satu” where the fees are 10 times more expensive than normal intake fees?
Why is education made to be expensive, as in this case, an excellent student was denied university entry but offered another backdoor way that is more expensive?
Shouldn’t this student be given a scholarship instead, with such a high score?
How come the average score can get scholarships but not this young chap?
Something is really wrong with this country.
Fair Play: Accountancy is among the “preferred” fields of study in public universities.
That is to say, yearly the number of applicants far exceeds the number of students allotted to each public university.
This student is qualified and “accepted” under, for lack of the proper word, the “full fees” scheme, which is priced at 10 times the regular scheme, as reported by Malaysiakini.
Just wondering whether this exorbitant fee scheme is higher than the fees charged by a private university like MMU offering the accountancy programme that is also recognised by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.
GanMu: Forget about the universities in Peninsular Malaysia. Just apply to universities in Sarawak and hope for the best, Wong.
I am sure they may take you in as a Malaysian.
Sarawak has set a new policy where five state-owned universities in Sarawak began to base their admission solely on meritocracy.
Good luck, you have many choices, and with your intellectualism, you are destined to go places.
BrownMacaw9225: Get rid of those little Napoleons managing the entry system who created bias.
The Madani government should rectify these problems immediately.
Entry into public universities should be based on merit.
GreenCondor7794: A top student who probably deserves a full scholarship and other incentives is forced to pay 10 times more.
It is no wonder that we are losing precious talent. When will we have a Malaysia for all Malaysians?
Mechi: Now, we know the best brains are not being used in Malaysia, and no wonder the nation’s economy is in distress.
Name one successful nation where the best brains are not leveraged? Sadly, Malaysia is a core exporter of talent.
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