Malaysia Scholarship 2008-2009

PUTRAJAYA: Profitable companies should set aside funds to finance the higher education of worthy Malaysian students, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. 

He said investment in education would see fruition in the long run, and the outstanding Malaysians would help take Malaysia to greater heights. 

“The 9th Malaysia Plan has renewed emphasis on human capital and education. 

“The Government cannot do everything and (we) want some social responsibility from companies, to set aside some funds from their profits for education,” he said. 

Najib said this while commending Maxis Communications Bhd for awarding scholarships to three outstanding Malaysians. 

They are Ananthi Ramiah and Boo Kian Seng, to pursue their studies at Oxford University in England, and Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar, at Harvard Business School in the United States. 

Citing the exponential growth achieved in a short term by an IT centre in Bangalore, India, Najib said the prerequisite to such staggering growth was a skilful and expert workforce. 

On an unrelated matter, Najib, who is Defence Minister, told reporters that the Government did not foresee any development in southern Thailand that would necessitate increasing Malaysian soldiers and policemen at the border. 

He added that the security forces would be put on extra vigilance only if something “imminent” was to take place. 

On Timor Leste, he said as long as the United Nations does not invite Malaysia for a peacekeeping mission, the country would continue providing help as a UN- sanctioned mission. 

“If we are invited to offer peacekeeping, it will be brought up to the Cabinet for a decision,” he said.

Source: the Star Tuesday June 20, 2006.