CoFfEE witH PUNithAN

he MIC has come to the rescue of about 240 Indians students who were unsuccessful in their application for Public Service Department (PSD) scholarship.

The MIC-owned Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) in Semeling, Kedah would offer 200 places for them to pursue their foundation courses at the university, said MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

He said of the 240 students who had appealed to the PSD, he expected many of them to secure the scholarship while the rest could pursue their studies at AIMST.

"AIMST will welcome them. They need not worry," he said at the presentation of the President's Merit Award to SPM and STPM high achievers here. The annual event was organised by the party's educational arm, Maju Institute for Education Development (MIED).

Samy Vellu was commenting on the anguish of the affected students' parents who felt that despite their children scoring top grades, they could not get the PSD scholarship.

The party president said several parents had contacted MIED, seeking clarification on their children's status after they were notified that their (children's) appeals were rejected by the PSD.

He said the MIC had submitted appeals by the 240 students to the PSD and was presently gathering information on their status.

"We have been told that many were successful in their appeals while an equal number could have had their appeals rejected," he said.

However, Samy Vellu noted that 323 Indian students secured PSD scholarships this year, of which 171 were for foreign degree programmes while the rest were to pursue studies at five local private institutions approved by the PSD, including AIMST.