The launching of a new scholarship – the 9A+ Sponsorship Programme – should have given a new lease of hope to SPM students but now, they are left in a state of despair.This caught everyone by a surprise, especially those SPM 2016 candidates that scored 9A+ but a few A's as they took more than nine subjects hoping that this would have increased their chances of getting at least 9A+ and receiving the scholarship offer as a result.
According to the Public Service Department’s (PSD) eSila portal, only students with full A+ for all subjects they sat for are entitled to the sponsorship.
The only silver lining was that the National Sponsorship Programme, which funds the top 20 SPM scorers to study in the most renowned universities in the world, will now consider 102 students who obtained their results on Thursday.
PSD director-general Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim Seman, in a text message to The Star, said: “Will clarify this issue soon.”
It was announced last year that the Graduate Bursary Programme will cease this year. But the new stringent condition has taken many by surprise.
Good news though for top 102 SPM leavers receiving National Sponsorship Programme, thanks to the increasing of number from 20 the previous year.