Lim yesterday pledged scholarships for all deserving students under Pakatan rule
DAP should utilise monetary resources from the Penang government to provide scholarships for top SPM students there instead of “harassing” MCA for not being able to offer scholarships, the Chinese party said today.
Loh Seng Kok, the party’s deputy publicity bureau chairman, today accused DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng of lying when the latter said Penang did not have enough money to provide scholarships for deserving students.
The DAP pledged yesterday that unlike Barisan Nasional (BN), it would ensure that all deserving top students in the country are awarded scholarships if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wrests control of the federal government.
Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said in a statement that the party and its PR partners in the state already granted numerous awards to top students based on their performances but a shortage of funds prevented the Penang government from granting full scholarships to all top scorers.
Today, Loh took issue with Lim’s reason for not giving out more study aid.
“I find this statement an outright lie. In 2010, he boasted that ‘Penang came out top in investments with RM 12.2 billion or 26 per cent of Malaysia’s total investments of RM47.2 billion in 2010; with only six per cent of the population, Penang contributed 36 per cent of Malaysia’s (foreign direct investments).’
“Why is he not using Penang’s vast wealth for the betterment of education for local Penangites? I will not stand for him trying to cry foul on BN and MCA while he does nothing in his state,” said Loh in a statement.
The MCA central committee member also accused PR parties of contradicting themselves when it came to scholarship awards, claiming that despite PR’s claims that these were “race blind”, Malays were the priority.
“For 2010 in Selangor, the state government secondary school scholarships were given to 869 Malay students, yet only three Chinese students and two Indians were given scholarships. PR cannot keep lying to the rakyat, they must fulfil their pledges and promises,” Loh added.
