Still Water Runs Deep
In the letter section of The Star,
There has never been any transparency in government procedures. The writer's loan application hiatus will only be the beginning of many frustrating encounters. There are many flaws from the inefficiency of the officers in charge to the unfair policies in place.
Let me illustrate these unjust policies. The Cardiology department at a local hospital is well staffed with excellent, competent and well qualified cardiologists. Unfortunately, when the position of head of Cardiology became vacant, none of these cardiologists were selected. In turn, a more junior cardiologist from UK , who had little experience in the local situation was selected. Many asked why? No clear answers are forthcoming. Speculation is rife which often brews mistrust among certain groups of people. There was hardly any transparency or logic in the selection process.
My reservation of the SLAB(Skim Latihan Akademik Bumiputra) program is another good example of inconsistencies and illogical government policies. Elaborating on it further however may only invite unnecessary attention.
There is little that can be done when top government positions are monopolised by incompetent individuals. Corruption remains rife, although vehemently denied by politicians, is crippling the country. When money politics aka corruption cannot be stemmed in the main political party of our ruling government, how much can we expect the fight against corruption in government agencies to succeed?
The "tidak apa" attitude remains a hindrance to an efficient service. Simple good phone ettiquette, despite being a prime directive of the government, is ignored.
There is certainly unhappiness and dissatisfaction with current policies, despite a relative calm.
| No study loan due to ambiguity
ON Oct 15, my father took me to Wisma Chase Perdana in Kuala Lumpur, the headquarters for the National Higher Education Fund (NHEF). We were elated when the officer-in-charge, Khairul, told us I was eligible for a loan. It was a small sum, but we still felt it was good news. On the morning of Oct 18, I called the Public Services Department (JPA) and explained my status as a private medical student wishing to inquire about its loan offer. After listening, the officer-in-charge referred me to an Encik Azman who told me to talk to an officer, Norzailina. I dialled the number given to me but there was no answer. Later, I e-mailed an inquiry to JPA and sent a copy to the Prime Minister’s office. On the same afternoon, I enquired about the NHEF loan at the International Medical University (IMU) and was told no such offer was available to students like me. When I demanded an explanation, I was told Khairul was relatively new and knew little about such things. On Oct 19, Khairul himself admitted I was not eligible to apply. I then asked to speak to CEO Wan Ahmad but was unsuccessful. His personal assistant painstakingly explained the reason for my ineligibility: The Jabatan Pendidikan Swasta (JPS) had sent an ambiguous document regarding loan applications for overseas-bound IMU students like me. Since the requirements were not met, NHEF had rejected all loan applications. It seems this “ambiguity” has been going on for years! I was horrified to discover that my opportunity and welfare are at stake because of a minor technicality that no party intends to solve. Since Oct 19, I have been calling the JPA (03-88853405) countless times, but no one picks up the phone. I managed to get someone on 03-88853049, but it was the local loan department. The person who answered asked me to dial 03-88853405. I told her as gently as I could that I had just done that. She suggested I keep trying. Some good soul gave me another number (03-88853000; training department), but no one picked up the phone when I called at 3pm. Up till today (Oct 22), I haven’t heard, in writing, from the JPA nor the PM’s office. Now I remember why I gave up approaching JPA for a loan during my first semester – I had a similar bad experience. I was bounced around like a beach ball by irresponsibility, incompetence and bureaucracy. I am at my wits’ end about getting a loan to continue my education. POOR MEDICAL STUDENT, Seremban. (via e-mail) |
There has never been any transparency in government procedures. The writer's loan application hiatus will only be the beginning of many frustrating encounters. There are many flaws from the inefficiency of the officers in charge to the unfair policies in place.
Let me illustrate these unjust policies. The Cardiology department at a local hospital is well staffed with excellent, competent and well qualified cardiologists. Unfortunately, when the position of head of Cardiology became vacant, none of these cardiologists were selected. In turn, a more junior cardiologist from UK , who had little experience in the local situation was selected. Many asked why? No clear answers are forthcoming. Speculation is rife which often brews mistrust among certain groups of people. There was hardly any transparency or logic in the selection process.
My reservation of the SLAB(Skim Latihan Akademik Bumiputra) program is another good example of inconsistencies and illogical government policies. Elaborating on it further however may only invite unnecessary attention.
There is little that can be done when top government positions are monopolised by incompetent individuals. Corruption remains rife, although vehemently denied by politicians, is crippling the country. When money politics aka corruption cannot be stemmed in the main political party of our ruling government, how much can we expect the fight against corruption in government agencies to succeed?
The "tidak apa" attitude remains a hindrance to an efficient service. Simple good phone ettiquette, despite being a prime directive of the government, is ignored.
There is certainly unhappiness and dissatisfaction with current policies, despite a relative calm.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home