We need to know how the PSD failed
(The STar) – THE Public Services Department (PSD) is in the soup for the reported mishandling of scholarship awards that is at odds with government policy.
Many among the 363 full A+ students were denied overseas scholarships they had applied for. Last year, 1,218 SPM students had scored 9A+ or better but were still denied scholarships.
Evidently the PSD has much explaining to do, since its designation demands that its duty is to serve the public interest. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had even extended scholarship eligibility to students who had scored 8A+, but the department has let him down.
The MCA acted swiftly to press for proper rectification. Party Youth chief and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong has announced that the PSD will review the scholarship applications by top students.
Results of the findings will be made known from tomorrow. The issue will also be thrashed out at the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The PSD’s failure to do its job is a disservice to the nation and producing a loss to the country. It has also shaken public confidence in the nation’s governance, especially among the younger generation.
Any wilful element in that failure is insubordination to the nation’s executive that amounts to treasonable conduct. An apology from the department is the least that the public can expect from it.
There should also be appropriate penalties for those officers who had knowingly deviated from official policy. How else can they be deterred from further misconduct?
All this provokes some essential questions in the public mind: what prompted the deviation, who are the guilty officers, and what other misconduct remains unknown?
Central to the problem is the lack of transparency in the handling of scholarship applications. The obvious solution is to publish past selection procedures besides making future procedures publicly known.
Since the award of scholarships involves large sums being given by some individuals to certain individuals, a thorough inquiry is needed to restore the PSD’s reputation. If necessary, an independent investigation into the many anomalies should involve the MACC.
It is important for public confidence to return to official institutions, particularly those tasked to serve the public. The PSD itself should be the first to seek all the remedies needed to clear the air.
