DAP has criticised the government for prioritising quantity over quality when giving out Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships to students applying to study overseas.

"Scholarships continue to be awarded to students who fail to qualify to the top universities, particular those in the United States," said the party's economic adviser Tony Pua.

Speaking at the DAP headquarters today, he attributed the information to a circular issued by PSD on the programme structure for overseas scholarship recipients.

The circular which spells out stipulations for countries such as United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, includes an extra clause for those applying to American universities.

"For students who fail to receive any offers from Ivy League or Ivy League Standard universities, they can continue with their first degree studies under the American Credit Transfer Programme (ACTP)," it reads.

"Students will study one year in the country and continue the next three years in an American university."

According to Pua, these scholars will be given a place in private colleges and universities to pursue the subject of their choice.

Through the ACTP, the scholarship recipient will - after a year - be given a list of American universities with which the Malaysian government has relations.

"Some degree programmes are recognised only by certain American universities and they are normally not Ivy League ones. Ivy Leagues do not recognise the ACTP," he said.

Assurance ignored

Pua pointed out that this contradicts what Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed said in March when it was revealed that 1,800 scholarships were offered this year, 300 more than before.

"(The scholarships) will only be awarded to students who are accepted by renowned foreign universities," he was quoted as saying in The Star.

"Tertiary education in Britain and the US is very costly. We do not want to send our scholars to any overseas university randomly. It's better if we only send them to renowned universities and in return, we produce high quality graduates."
Pua said it is clear that the government will continue to finance students irrespective of the universities where they have secured a place in spite of what Mustapa had said.

"In the pursuit of the quantity of scholars, have we decided once again, to forgo the move to produce high quality graduates as expressed by the minister himself?" he asked.