Koon Yew Yin's Blog

Scholarship Award Reform: How to Ensure the Poor Have Their Fair Share - Koon Yew Yin

Koon Yew Yin
Publish date: Sun, 11 May 2014, 03:33 PM
Koon Yew Yin
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An official blog in i3investor to publish sharing by Mr. Koon Yew Yin.

All materials published here are prepared by Mr. Koon Yew Yin

Koon Yew Yin

 

Since my retirement, I have been concerned with how we can solve the problem of the poor through educational mobility. This has involved putting my money where my mouth is in a program which helps needy families send their kids to university through financing their first year. Although Forbes, the media organization has given recognition to me in its annual selection of Asian philanthropic heroes in 2011 (see, “48 Heroes of Philanthropy” in http://www.forbes.com/global/2011/0718/heroes-philanthropy-11-kaldor-zhiqiang-oberoi-heroes-list.html), I am the first to realize that my efforts at providing university scholarships to the needy are extremely modest and a drop in the ocean of need.

 

After much reflection, I would like to provide what I think is a practical and easily implementable solution to the national problem of too many deserving poor children having to chase and compete for too few scholarships.

 

My solution is a two pronged one. The first prong relates to government scholarships. These scholarships are in fact provided for by tax payers money so that tax payers like me and other citizens have the right to ensure that the funds are not abused or misused and are fairly distributed. My proposal applies not only to federal and state educational scholarships but also to scholarships provided by the GLC's and GLIC's such as Petronas, Tenaga Nasional, Telekom, Bank Negara.

 

Targeting Scholarship Awards More Equitably

 

Today we have a upper class of Malaysians who have benefited from the NEP during the past half century through access to government scholarships. These recipients of previous NEP scholarships (Malays and non-Malays) should now be disqualified from having their children apply for government scholarships except for the small proportion of scholarships awarded purely on a merit basis.

 

Instead the greater proportion of government scholarships should be made available to the children of those families who have never received such scholarships in the past. This will ensure that the children of poor and lower middle class Malays as well as poor non-Malays who cannot compete with the children of richer families will compete amongst themselves for scholarships. A small quantum of the total number of government scholarships though can be based solely on merit and set aside for brilliant and outstanding students for which the disqualifying clause will not be applicable.

 

The following are some of the positive effects of my proposal

 

  1. It will create a more level playing field for all young Malaysians in the area of government and GLC scholarships.

  2. It will make the children of Malays as well as non-Malays who have previously benefitted from the NEP more competitive and self-reliant.

  3. It will provide a boost to racial harmony

  4. It is an easy affirmative action programme to operate as all that is needed is the identification details of earlier education scholarships holders for vetting purposes as well as a simple question in the application form: has your father of mother been recipient of a government scholarship award previously?

 

Any affirmative action programme should have a beginning and an end. It must also justify its target beneficiaries and remove them from the queue once they have been provided with the opportunity and benefits. Others formerly excluded or left out should now be put into the queue if they are in need.

 

Private Sector Participation

 

The other prong of my strategy applies to the private sector. One reader in response to an article I wrote on the Chinese poor had provided the following comment

 

“ the super rich chinese can do more by funding more educational organisation for the needy one. As we know non-bumi have minimum opportunity to study in full government funded tertiary or vocational education. The capable and and well networked chinese should organise schools like early days when the chinese merchants self funded the chinese schools. But nowadays the super rich chinese are only interested in creating international school for their own profit. God will help those who help themselves. Let us help ourselves while waiting for the change in government.

 

It is clear that the very rich and even rich – of whatever race – can and should do much more in providing educational access to the poor as well as middle class. These private sector scholarships can have a higher proportion based on merit to balance the pro-poor one awarded by the government.

 

If this two pronged strategy is adopted, we will have a greater measure of national unity and harmony, and quicker progress towards a more equitable and fair society.

 

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Discussions
7 people like this. Showing 15 of 15 comments

nofear

The way i see is that there might be no point giving out scholarships.

To make it sustainable, and pass onto generations after generations, loans are the only solutions, as long as the repayment is more flexible, and that the punishments are not so harsh when they default.

There's a growing concern with youngsters also. Are they really making the most out of your scholarships? That's the saddest and most disheartening part.

If their parents' salary is less than 4k, they should apply for ptptn, and top up with extra soft loans. The requirements are simple for ptptn, less than 4k combined income, you'll get maximum allowed amount 28k for ipta for 4 years. RM350 of living expenses per month after fees deduction. if their parents' combined salary is much much higher, they'll get a maximum of 8k for four years. What are they doing with your extra money?

So, are scholarship sponsors being ripped off?

Do you do the hardworking student justice? If you let them get away for being lazy in stpm or spm? CGPA of 3.0 will get you to an engineering course in IPTA already (its all B's, not B+). Is it that hard?

2014-05-12 02:28

nofear

I appreciate your noble gesture Mr Koon for sponsoring financially challenged student! But your personal interest should be protected also.

2014-05-12 02:29

speakup

I salute you Mr Koon!

2014-05-12 07:44

Koon Yew Yin

I know a few multi millionaire Malays who have benefited from the NEP, sent their children to English boarding schools early so that they could secure better university places. After gaining university admission, they then ask the Government or Mara for their scholarships.

2014-05-12 10:16

fireball

some JPa scholars doing A lvls (enroute to overseas unis)in Taylors, HELP n Sunway go to college in chauffered BMWs, Mercs n Alphards...so wot is the criteria???

2014-05-12 10:47

iafx

setup a trust fund that pay the **school (or college); which in turn use the $ to exempt (or partial) the 'poor' who can't pay their school (or college) fee. rather than seeking the poor, the school (or college) already knew who can't pay their fee (yet a hardworking student), who drove BMW to school (yet shamelessly apply for aid).

** must open for public to review which school (or college) received how much, while not necessary to open which student.

juz a 2c view.

2014-05-12 11:05

nofear

Thanks sop,iafx,fireball for highlighting those issues

Yes, Mr Koon, I'm aware of that. There was a similar thing going on with jpa a few years back ( JPA scholarship for IVY League and equivalent ) whereby if you have an offer from top 10 universities in the world, you can apply for this scholarship. Provided the courses are reasonable, not greek mythology or anything like that. Means that if you get an offer from cambridge, you'll get funded by jpa.

There are no secret to gaining entrance to these top 10 schools. You got to have good grades, reasonably well english, show that you've real passion, get past their interviews. Show them you've got great passion. In fact, STPM if you do well in it, you've equal opportunity for overseas university application even comparing with A-levels etc.

Mara's scholarship money most probably is already spent by those cronies's kids and students. That's even more reason why we should look forward. Sponsoring more kids are only going to expend the middle class. If there's a need to sponsor, make sure it is going to be someone who is going to make a difference.

A good way is to sponsor a student research project, so that they can take their work to the next level.

2014-05-12 13:36

nofear

Don't get me wrong Mr Koon, I have much respect for you and appreciate your noble contribution. But, I think there should be a time to step back and reflect on our progress to see are we really moving forward.

We spend money working, investing. We know that money don't come easily, but do these youngster's know that? (spending time karaoke, buy new phones S1,2,3,4,5 )

2014-05-12 14:04

marc11

Mr Koon sugggest if you can take initiative to run a self sustaining trust funded school or college for education. I do not know whether it will work well but at least there is someone with reputation and resources taken tthe first step and then the other rich will pool in their resouces. for example we have sucessful constuction material company, engineering consultant, education entrepeuneur, and others can pool in their resouces to build and manage the school. If we can come out with a workable master plan to convince them, i am sure most of them are pilanthropist at heart. Getting the policy right is important but on the private side i think we can be more organise with long term vision.

2014-05-19 16:31

khooinvestor

Mr Koon, my neighbour who works as a driver and his wife is a diabetic with her foot amputated, has a very smart daughter who passed her SPM with 7 As. She is in need of a scholarship. Can you help her. My email is khooch50@hotmail.com. Thanks.

2014-05-21 20:49

leslieroycarter

usually the poor without any strong cable will find themselves more disadvantaged compared with the aristocrat who are yielding power and position in the government. This is the fact in life and nobody can deny that.

2014-05-21 21:01

Koon Yew Yin

Please ask the poor student to write to my wife who is charge of my charity. Her email address is kitpheng@gmail.com. If you look back, you can see my article about my scholarship offer to help poor students and you will know how to apply. I have also advertised on lim kit siang blog and also on Malaysia Finance blogspot where you can see how to apply for my scholarship.

2014-05-21 22:35

Vijaya Kumar

God bless you n family

2014-05-21 22:54

khooinvestor

Thank you, Mr Koon.

2014-05-21 23:17

khooinvestor

Mr Koon, on behalf of my neighbour, I say Thank You very much. My neighbour's daughter will now be able to concentrate on her studies.

2014-05-23 17:35

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