RM100 million down the drain
posted in - Dobbs, - General |Reported in the NST:
This is a story of money down the drain. As many as 100 Malaysians educated in Ireland at a cost of between RM60 million and RM100 million to become doctors have turned their backs on the country. If this news is not depressing enough, there are suggestions that they are encouraging other Malaysian students not to return home but to make a living in Europe’s fastest growing economy.
This discovery was made by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek who recently visited the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and University College Dublin in Ireland, where more than 1,000 Malaysians are pursuing undergraduate or post-graduate programmes in medicine.
“They have not only evaded the compulsory service and the government bond but have become a bad influence on other Malaysians pursuing medical degrees overseas,” he said. Many of the 100 doctors studied on Mara scholarships.
Dr Chua said his information was gleaned from discussions he had with Malaysian students last month. The 100 doctors had been working in Ireland, mainly doing locum, for between one and 11 years.
I wonder if you felt as shocked and apppalled as I did when I read this in the news. Knowing we have a shortage of doctors in the country, here are 100 doctors trained overseas courtesy of our Government, unwilling to come back and serve the 10 years (3 years compulsory service and 7 years bond) they agreed to when they took up the scholarships. What is MARA doing about it? Surely the doctors or their families/guarantors should be made to pay back the scholarship money and if not, taken to court for not fulfilling the condition of their bond. Dr Chua said he would bring up this issue to the Cabinet’s attention and we sincerely hope that something concrete will be done about this. Otherwise the Government is literally pouring millions down the drain to train these ungrateful and irresponsible doctors.
Related link:
Scholarship doctors should do postgrad studies locally
Related MMR post:
Training abroad: are you coming home?
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February 16th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Dear LF et al,
>>“Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes.” (Nehru),,
“If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.” (Albert Einstein)
In life, evry thing can be relative.
Happy Chinese New Year to all.
Yours,
CT Goh
July 28th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
It all boils down to a govt that is half pass six and have been so for a very long time.
Added to this is an electorate that is masochistic and you’ll have potent brew for disaster!
April 25th, 2006 at 3:09 am
[...] There’s been so much talk about JPA (PSD) scholars returning home, serving their 10 years bond that the kpo in me thinks I should blog about it as well. There’s 76 comments post in MMR, there’re letters at UK Doc’s and also on the topic of JPA scholarships, though not about bond-serving, Richard writes on Rags to Riches. [...]
April 24th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Please continue discussion in the MMR Forums
TQ
http://forum.malaysianmedicine.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=575
April 24th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
>> ngchmd Says:
April 10th, 2006 at 11:34 am
Yummy: The number of students who abuse the terms of the scholarships given to them to acquire an overseas medical degree is large, probably increasing and worrying. The discussions in MMR look at this problem in general. There are many parties involved here - the government and the scholarship awarding bodies, the taxpayers, the general public who uses the MOH hospitals and healthcare facilities, the existing doctors in MOH and of course the scholarship recipients and their guarantors. You may wish to contribute your views in a more constructive manner. >>
Well folks. That was an interesting discussion. I would term this constructive.
We had a chance to explore the views of various sides. The scholars, who were non-conforming or non-compliant, are perhaps surprised by the strong feelings expressed by others. Likewise, we gather some ideas on the bitterness of these scholars and why some of them have chosen to behave thus. From the newspaper report, there are at least a 100 scholars involved; Yummy is not alone. She is courageous and honest enough to discuss her predicament in MMR.
But you are arguing your case with the government, which is an organization that is, large, bureaucratic, slow in making decisions, regulated by the rules and laws, faceless and inflexible to an individual case; this situation is not peculiar only to Malaysia.
The questions to ponder further:
Perhaps, the government should be faulted for putting our top scholars in these situations.
Perhaps, the government should be faulted for not managing these scholarships better.
Perhaps, the government should be faulted for sending our top scholars overseas for undergraduate education.
Perhaps, the government should be faulted for being too inflexible in their pursuit of those scholars who are non-conforming or non-compliant. Will they, not then be opened to accusations of inefficiency and poor management?
Perhaps, the government should be faulted for not been strict with the scholars by imposing the full term of the contracts with no exceptions. Will they, not then be accused of inflexibility, non-caring, authoritarian and the likes?
Perhaps, these scholarships should be channeled to build up our local tertiary undergraduate education facilities instead.
Perhaps, these scholarships are better used to send our top scholars to do postgraduate (PhD, research, fellowships) in good learning centers.
Finally, it boils down to an individual’s arguments in support of his/her position based on the level of his/her moral reasoning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_development
April 24th, 2006 at 10:17 am
I would not presume to speak for LF but I do not think the position taken could be interpreted as unconditional support for scholars that bust their contracts. My interpretation would be of someone with an open mind that is not too quick to judge people when not in posession of all the facts.
I think to suggest such a thing in reference to a light-hearted comment is a disingenuous position to take. From the previous responses you have given I think you know this to be true and said this to emotively elicit further support for your cause.
April 24th, 2006 at 10:02 am
@ngchmd: you are correct in stating that my views may be misinterpreted as support by those who break their bond. My views were related to interpretation of the scenario based on information given and information which I have acquired. In the absence of views proferred by the government or their agents, it is difficult for anyone who is neutral to offer any guidance. I am not in the position to do so as I do not have locus standii. I do not need to spend time explaining to others if they had misinterpreted my postings as unconditional support for the scholars.
What I unconditionally support are the principles of natural justice, integrity, and also the spirit of the French revolution
(liberte, fraternite et egalite)
April 24th, 2006 at 10:01 am
If you are happy with the condition of your society, Govt., etc., the you will think that my (perhaps overly provocative) description is not justified. I conceed I owe much to our society but cannot discount from what I have seen elsewhere in the world that I may have achieved much more, with less personal cost, had our society been more European or Anglo Saxon with the opportunities that those societies tend to impart (before this elicits a reply I admit this may be hyperbole).
I am happy to hear most other views and to have mine dissected by thorough argument but I do believe that mindless and moralistic pontification serves no purpose in the advancement of ideas or society.
Whilst I concede that I have played a part in the design of my current predicament, I tend to think that this has been largely as an understudy rather than in the lead role (or supporting actor at least). Despite your (ngchmd) marginally less conservative responses of late, your continued intransigence makes me despair for the prospect of reform in our country.
I think spiteful was a little harsh, I do not feel too maligned by most of the vacuous (LFng/ngchmd excepted) comments on here but I do think it demonstates how both sides of an argument may feel about rash and ill conceived conjecture (sorry jimmy, i’ll buy you a latte).
April 24th, 2006 at 8:56 am
>>Just read the whole thread!
Apart consistent objective analyses put through by LF Ng, everyone else sounds spiteful? Am sure there is no need for this.
>>
LF: This is worrying. Your postings have been interpreted as unconditional positive support by some of these scholars who bust their scholarship contracts. Maybe you should give your comprehensive views on these to guide them further. Are your views expressed so far specific to Yummy’s case only? How should these scholars who are signing these contract presently be careful of? Is there a trap behind the bait which they should be aware of?