Nazri says Friday’s meeting with the prime minister has nothing to do with Wee’s accusations
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will meet with the Public Service Department (PSD) this Friday to address the issue of mismatched scholarships and resolve the ongoing dispute.
However, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz stressed today that the department is not under investigation for alleged power abuse despite the allegations made by MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong.
He pointed out that PSD had adhered to the government’s directive that all 8A+ students would receive scholarships either locally or in foreign institutions.
Wee’s claims, he added, were now a “non-issue” as the deputy minister had failed to provide proof to back up his allegations.
“The issue is that some students did not get the scholarships that they wanted so the prime minister will look in their appeals. There are less than a hundred and some have already been resolved.
“So on Friday, the PSD will brief him and we will look into it but the meeting has nothing to do with Wee’s accusations ... we simply want to help the students,” he told The Malaysian Insider after attending today’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Najib.
The Padang Rengas MP, whose ministerial portfolio includes overseeing PSD scholarships, also revealed that the PSD awards system had already been presented to all leaders of Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties before it was implemented for the year.
In a press conference yesterday, Nazri had said that the matter had also been presented to and approved by Najib and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, on May 5 this year.
“Even before the PM approved the implementation of the PSD awards, all leaders of the component parties were called and they were told about it. PM specifically told them that if later, should there be any appeals, they should revert to him,” Nazri recalled.
He rebuked MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek for chastising him in the media yesterday by saying he did not understand MCA’s role in the government.
MCA was the first to raise grievances about PSD’s distribution of scholarships this year, with Wee claiming that 363 straight A+ students had failed to get the scholarships despite Najib’s promise last year that all students scoring 8A+ and above would secure placements.
“I want to ask Soi Lek — what role is MCA playing that I or the PM do not know about? The PM already told all parties to come back to him with appeals ... meaning, not to go to the press and shout but solve the issue in Cabinet,” Nazri said.
He pointed out that Wee could have raised his concerns personally to him instead of “playing to the gallery” by complaining to the public without finding a solution.
“I would like to advise MCA — do not behave this way. This is why the Chinese are not supporting them because MCA is seen as unreliable. They are supposed to be Umno’s friends but they whack us and this is why the Chinese do not trust them,” he said.
