Sunday February 17, 2008

Students get chance for stint abroad

FINAL year medical student Lee Koon Hiang would not have made it to Cambridge University if not for the intervention of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

The 10 1A student who did well in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam in 2000 is grateful to the government for his Public Service Department (PSD) scholarship which has allowed him to pursue his ambition in Britain these past six years.

»Without the support from the Government, I would not be where I am today. I will come back to serve the country and help the needy« LEE KOON HIANG

Lee, 24, recalled that he was highly disappointed when told by PSD officers that he was not eligible for the scholarship as he was from Chung Hwa Independent School, a Chinese independent school, even though his results were excellent.

“My parents are retired civil servants, so it was impossible for me to study medicine overseas. They had already sold their house to send my brother abroad and my two other siblings were still in school,” he said.

However, Lee did not give up after his first failed attempt. He subsequently met Ong at a gathering organised by then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for outstanding SPM students.

“I told Datuk Seri Ong about my predicament and he listened patiently. He did not promise me anything then but told me not to worry and to continue to work hard.

“To my surprise, a few days later, the department called me up and informed me that I had been given a scholarship,” he said.

So grateful is Lee for the scholarship that he has made the most of his studies at Cambridge, never missing any class.

“Without the support from the Government, I would not be where I am today. I will come back to serve the country and help the needy,” he said, pledging to study hard.

Another scholarship recipient, Soo Sitt Leng, 20, said she was thankful to the Government and the MCA for helping her obtain a PSD scholarship after her first attempt failed.

“After the initial rejection, I wrote an appeal to the department as well as to the MCA president on my mother's behalf.”

Soo's mother Tay Lay Hoon, 48, has been blind for the past 20 years due to a brain tumour.

A month after they sent the letter, Ong called to personally deliver the good news to them.

Lucky break: Teh, who was orphaned at the age of four, is happy for the chance to study abroad under a PSD scholarship.

“I am so glad that the Government is giving me a chance to excel. Without the scholarship, I would not have the chance to further my studies as our family solely depends on my father who is a construction worker,” she added.

Soo said she enjoyed her foundation studies in a local college and was looking forward to studying dentistry in India soon.

Orphan Teh Jen Niece, 20, who is currently pursuing actuarial science at Michigan University in the United States, said she would never have had a chance to study aboard if not for the JPA scholarship.

“I have been here since last December. I am doing fine here and have adapted to the new environment. I will study extra hard as this is a very precious opportunity for me to study abroad.

Teh lost her parents and sister in a car accident in Penang when she was four. Since then, she has been living with her grandparents Tan Mooi Liang, 80, and Yap Chaw Nia, 75, in Kepong.

“I am really thankful for the scholarship as my grandparents could not have paid for my tuition fees,” she said, adding that her grandparents and uncle always encouraged her to study hard.

Teh promised that she would give her best to the community and the country upon graduation.

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