(The Star) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will decide on the successful SPM top scorers who will be given 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) grants upon his return from Kazakhstan.

“I will decide on this matter when I return,” he told Malaysian reporters yesterday during his official visit to Kazakhstan.

In Kuala Lumpur, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said 1MDB is offering 500 scholarships to 8A+ scorers in the SPM examination this year to study in public and private academic institutions in the country.

About 300 of the scholarships will be given to bumiputras.

“Priority will be given to 8A+ achievers who failed to get a Public Service Department (PSD) scholarship,” Bernama reported him as saying after chairing a 1MDB scholarship meeting of Barisan Nasional representatives at Parliament House yesterday.

Nazri said conditions would be relaxed for bumiputra applicants from Sabah and Sarawak, with consideration given to 6A+ and 5A+ scorers.

The income of their parents and the location of their schooling areas would also count towards their qualification.

“For those in Sabah and Sarawak, we have agreed to relax academic conditions. Bumiputras in the peninsula have to comply with pre-conditions on academic achievements and parents' income,” he added.

Nazri said scholarship holders at public academic institutions would receive RM7,500 a year for critical and non-critical courses.

Those at private academic institutions would receive RM15,000 a year for critical courses, and RM7,500 a year for non-critical courses, he added.

Nazri also said the Government was taking action against 145 PSD scholarship holders who had failed to return to Malaysia to serve from 2000 until May 31 this year.

“Action has been taken against 195 others,” he said.

Most of the scholarship holders who defaulted were medical and engineering students pursuing courses in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.

Of the 145 defaulting scholars now, 97 are in medicine and 26 in engineering, he said.

Nazri added that 160 cases had been settled, with the scholarship holders returning home or making loan repayments.

He also said the Government would have to review the PSD financing policy to take into consideration problems they have faced.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said that 1MDB scholarship offer would provide an avenue to the SPM leavers to pursue their higher education despite failing to land PSD scholarships.

“We welcome the effort by 1MDB to assist the students,” he said yesterday.

Dr Wee said the MCA had submitted a list of SPM scorers based on the criteria agreed to by all parties to Nazri in Putrajaya yesterday.

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