Though the Ministry of Education and the Public Services Department (PSD) have in the recent past provided explanations on the distribution of scholarships for overseas degree programmes, this is the first time that the public has been presented with a detailed, comprehensive overview (NST July 7 2010). The explanation by the Minister of Education, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, is significant for a number of reasons.

One, it shows that there has been a sincere, earnest attempt to accommodate the aspirations of the various communities that comprise the Malaysian nation. In that sense, it is a manifestation of Prime Minister Mohd Najib’s determination to make ‘inclusiveness’ à la 1Malaysia a feature of public policies that impact upon national unity.

Two, the desire to be inclusive has also been accompanied by a serious concern for justice and equity as reflected in the special allocation for Sabah Bumiputras (8 per cent) and Sarawak Bumiputras (seven per cent). Scholarships based upon a simplistic, superficial notion of merit that ignores the disadvantaged environment of sections of our society would have further widened ethnic and economic disparities, and hindered national integration.

Three, the principles of inclusiveness and equity, in turn, have been guided by selection criteria that can withstand scrutiny from any quarter. The three criteria employed in the selection of scholarship awardees—academic achievement (85 per cent), co-curriculum activities (10 per cent) and interview (5 per cent)—have been used in a number of other countries and are universally acceptable.

The approach adopted by the Ministry of Education proves that it is possible to recognise excellence and ability while remaining inclusive and just. It is an approach that is morally legitimate and defensible as long as socio-economic disparities persist and sometimes express themselves through ethnic sentiment. Nonetheless, we must aim, in the medium term, to reduce ethnic dichotomisation and enhance excellence as the measure of a successful student.

However, an equally important question that emerged in the course of the media discussion on scholarships that needs to be addressed urgently is whether we should continue to send our crème de la crème overseas for academic programmes that are easily available in Malaysia. If our best young brains studied at local universities, wouldn’t it improve the content and quality of our institutions of higher learning? If the brightest in the land are socialized in a Malaysian university milieu that offers keen insights into the nation’s problems and challenges, it is quite conceivable that they would develop a more profound understanding of what it takes to forge a united nation in consonance with the goal of 1Malaysia.

9 July 2010