Our neighbour will create a special scholarship next year based 'totally on merit', so declared its Prime Minister. The announcement is of course a timely and welcome one, especially for the minority races, for it is always never too late to implement which is deemed to be a good and rational policy the world over. It defies logic why scholarships in the country had for so long been given out based NOT on merit but on one's race and political affiliations. Our neighbour of course has its affirmative action New Economic Policy to live up to - which is to protect and safeguard one particular race's national interests. This writer is not advocating that it abolishes such a policy. In fact he hastens to add that its government, if only for reason of greater transparency, can perhaps replace 'scholarships' with terms such as 'study grants', 'educational subsidies', 'bursaries' in keeping with the spirit of the NEP policy. And if it has to use the term 'scholarships', to make sure that they are given only to the deserving ones, based solely on merit - regardless of race, gender, religion, family income or political affiliations.
It is the only way that its scholars can stand shoulder to shoulder with scholars of the region. I for one can be spared both the agony and embarrassment of having to put up with a so-called government scholar who kept using 'sometimes can, sometime no can" phrases over and over again!
Lets hope the recent announcement by its PM is more than just rhetoric or a political statement in by-election month.
Writer: Peter Chang
email: peterchanglc@gmail.com
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