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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment

Posted by Chong

The Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment was announced in conjunction with the 2011 Merdeka Award Presentation ceremony by Prime Minister YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak. It is designed to make it possible for qualified Malaysians, between the ages 22 - 35 to engage in short-term collaborative projects/programmes at a selected, internationally-recognised host institution. This is help the recipient build on his or her expertise by undergoing a learning experience in an institution or organisation of international repute, and improving the recipient's body of work and achievements.

The attachment is made possible through the global network and reach of the three Merdeka Award founding partners - PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell, who have each given their commitment to utilise their global links with some of the world's renowned institutions, corporations, agencies and organisations, to help facilitate this attachment and make the Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment a success.
The Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment
The Grant is open to qualified Malaysians, between the ages of 22 and 35, in select disciplines - Education and Community, Environment as well as Health, Science and Technology, mirroring the categories in which the Merdeka Award itself is accorded. The broad categories include areas such as visual and performing arts, heritage and social work, sports; traditional disciplines like economics and finance, scientific disciplines, and areas related to the environment such as climate change, biodiversity and the protection and conservation of the environment. These categories have been carefully selected because of the importance of these disciplines to the progress of the country.

Speaking at a briefing to media (attended by Malaysia Students Blog) as well as representatives of institutions of higher learning and non-governmental organisations across a myriad of disciplines, Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Merdeka Award said, "This exciting new initiative by the Merdeka Award, Malaysia's highest award of excellence, is designed to identify and recognise outstanding young Malaysians who personify the Spirit of Merdeka, and those who, in their own areas of expertise, and in their own way, demonstrate a commitment to excellence and a contribution to society. They are individuals who are making a difference to Malaysia and the lives of Malaysians."

"The aim of this attachment is for them to establish contact and working relationships with other experts in the field of study, share knowledge and expertise, and upon their return, utilise these relationships and shared knowledge to further build on the body of work," he explained.
Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment
Announcement of the Call to Entry for the Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment by Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Merdeka Award
One grant will be offered in 2012 and two each in subsequent years. Applications for the grant opened on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 and will close on June 30, 2012. All applications must be made online at www.merdekaaward.my

The Merdeka Award Grant recipient will have to go through a stringent 3-step Selection Process:
  • The first will be the submission of an application, along with an Attachment Proposal that outlines his or her proposed area of research, what he or she hopes to achieve from it and the benefit the research will bring to the people of Malaysia.

    The applicant will also be responsible for developing an Attachment Budget, outlining the anticipated expenses to cover the attachment. Both the Attachment Proposal and Attachment Budget will be reviewed by the Merdeka Award Secretariat, from which a long list of promising candidats in each category will be developed.

  • A Selection Committe, chaired by Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Merdeka Award, and consisting of the Human Resource heads of the three founding partners of the Merdeka Award - PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell, will then review the long-list of candidates and select a short-list if the top 3 candidates in each category.

    These candidates will then be called for an interview with the Selection Committee, who will evaluate them in areas such as relevance of the proposed area of research, the quality of their proposal, the innovativeness of the area and method of research, and their commitment to and method of sharing their learnings with younger Malaysians upon their return.

    Everything, from their research methods, their concept of teamwork, their philosophy and commitment to community building, right down to their public speaking and social and media skills will be evaluated.

  • From interviews and shortlisting process, the Selection Committe will then recommend 3 names to the Merdeka Award Board of Trustees, who will make the final selection
Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment
Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment posters unveiled by Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Merdeka Award
The recipient will have to complete the attachment within a year of the Grant being awarded. During this time, he or she will be required to share his or her experiences by maintaining a personal blog, while also sharing updates on social media.


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Friday, April 13, 2012

Reader's Comment on Scholarships Allocation & Education in Malaysia

Editor's Note: A Malaysia Students Blog reader left a thoughtful comment on our previous post on National Scholarship Programme and Education Ministry Bursaries for SPM scorers. What do you think of the current Malaysian education system? Is examination a reliable assessment?

Nowadays, it seems too much emphasis has been placed on how many A's a student scored like 8A+, 9A+, 10A+, 11A+, 12A+ and so on. Though it is good to have excellent results, not every Tom, Dick and Harry are able to have string of A's. This being so, what about those who scored mixture of A-, A and A+ or some have above average results like mixture of A's and B+. This category of students may also deserve some forms of financial assistance/scholarships as they may be at the socio-economic disadvantaged group or they do deserve to further their education but due to their family financial constraint, they may be deprived of the opportunity. All people have the right to education.

There is also another category where a student may be very talented in something like painting, drawing, comic creativity, acting, dancing, singing, writing, automobile repair, cooking, carpentry, computer repair and etc but they may not excel in the academic results. Should we nurture these talents by giving them special scholarships to achieve their dreams so that this cream of talents can also contribute to make Malaysia a more inclusive and vibrant nation. I believe scholarships should NOT be given for ONLY students with string of A's but also for those who can really excel in their own passions/talents and in return, contribute to the society, the nation and the world.

For the less fortunate category like the OKU, opportunities should also be given to them so that they can be useful in one way or another to our society. We should be a caring society. Good things are NOT only meant and reserved for those who excel academically and in the extra-curricular activities but also for those who are less fortunate but really deserving to be supported.

In the following I like to extract some words of Dr Sun Myung Moon. His teaching is the HOPE of many young people today throughout the world.
Sun Myung Moon 문선명
"Many young people today seem to be studying just for its own sake. Unless you have a purpose in life, your studies will lack the passion needed for happiness. Everything we have is borrowed from Heaven. Happiness is a life lived for others.

What could be more short-sighted? Getting into a university is not a purpose. A university is a place to go to study particular subjects in the course of pursuing a larger objective. It cannot be the objective itself.

Also, do not define your life goal in terms of how much money you want to make. Money is a means to do something, not the goal. Before you make money, have a plan for spending it. Money gained without a prior objective will soon be wasted.

Your choice of occupation should not be based on just your talents and interests. Whether you become a fire fighter, a farmer, or a soccer player is up to you. But what I am referring to transcends your occupation. What kind of life will you lead as a soccer player? How will you live as a farmer? What is your objective in life?

To set your objective is to give meaning to the life you will lead. If you are going to be farmer, then you should set your objective to test new agriculture methods, develop better species of crops, and help eradicate world hunger. If you are going to be a soccer player, then set a meaningful objective such as to heighten your country's image in the world or to establish soccer camps that will nurture the dreams of economically deprived children.

To become a world-class soccer player takes incredible work. If you do not have a definite purpose in your heart, you will not be able to endure the difficult training required to reach the top. Only if you have an objective will you have the power to maintain your course and live a life that is a cut above those around you."


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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

National Scholarship Programme For Top 50 SPM Scorers; 9A+ And Above To Be Offered Education Ministry Bursaries For Local Pre-university Courses

Ministry of Education Malaysia announced Bursary Programme Sponsored by Malaysia's Education Ministry for SPM 2011 Scorers at its official website:
PROGRAM BURSARY PELAJAR CEMERLANG SPM TAHUN 2011 TAJAAN KEMENTERIAN PELAJARAN MALAYSIA

Pelajar-pelajar cemerlang lepasan SPM 2011 yang memperoleh sekurang-kurangnya 9A+ akan ditawarkan secara automatik penajaan di bawah Program Bursary Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia bagi mengikuti pengajian peringkat persediaan di dalam negara.

Pelajar yang layak boleh membuat semakan dan pengemaskinian profil pelajar Program Bursary mulai 16 April 2012 di laman sesawang KPM. Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila layari www.moe.gov.my atau hubungi talian help desk 03-8321 7086 atau emel pertanyaan kepada [email protected]

DPM: Bursaries for all students with 9A+ and above in SPM

PETALING JAYA: All 1,609 students who obtained 9A+ and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2011 will be automatically offered Education Ministry bursaries (dermasiswa) for local pre-university courses.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that these students will then be eligible for local or overseas scholarships for their tertiary studies from 2014 onwards if they meet the required criteria.

“For the Overseas Degree Programme Scholarships (Biasiswa Program Ijazah Luar Negara, PILN), students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.5 or its equivalent in their pre-university studies.

“Students who wish to pursue medicine, dentistry and pharmacy (overseas) must have unconditional offers of admission from any of the top 10 universities in the world, based on the list below.

“For other fields of study, students must have unconditional offers of admission from any of the top 50 universities in the world (as determined by the ministry),” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Top Universities in World Ranking
The bursaries will cover costs for either the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), matriculation studies, the International Baccalaurate (IB), A-Levels, or other foundation courses provided by the Higher Education Ministry.

Students can check details of the bursaries and update their student profiles at www.moe.gov.my from April 16 onwards.
Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (Ministry of Education)
Muhyiddin who is also the Education Minister, said that the top 50 students in the SPM 2011 will be offered scholarships under the National Scholarship Programme (Program Biasiswa Nasional, PBN).

“Sponsorship for the top 50 SPM 2011 students, or the creme de la creme based on the ministry's list, is for tertiary study at the top universities in the world and is based on academic merit.

“Selected candidates will be offered scholarships for their foundation and undergraduate studies for the fields of their choice in local and foreign universities, subject to the conditions set the Public Service Department (PSD),” he said.

Selection for the 2014 PILN is divided into four categories; scholastic ability (20%); ethnic population (60%); Sabah and Sarawak bumiputra (10%); and the socially disadvantaged (10%).

Students' co-curricular participation, socio-economic backgrounds, and interviews will be taken into account alongside their academic ability with the weightage for these criteria varying according to the four categories outlined above.

Muhyiddin said scholarship candidates will also be assessed by the Student Assessment Centre (SAC) during their interviews.

“The SAC is a more comprehensive selection and assessment method based on determined competencies including interest, behaviour, leadership, patriotism, creativity, endurance, and confidence.

“The assessment panel is made up of Government officials from various races, professions and job grades,” he said.

Students who have completed their pre-university studies this year are also eligible for PSD scholarships.

Muhyiddin explained that the PSD will offer 10,300 scholarships to students who have completed their pre-university studies to pursue their undergraduate degrees at recognised local public and private tertiary institutions.

“The Government will spend a sum of RM2.12bil this year to pay the cost of students' tertiary education in local and foreign universities,” he said.

Muhyiddin added that a total of 300 students will be sponsored by the PSD for engineering courses in Japan, Korea, France and Germany.

Source: The Star Online

Automatic bursary for academic high achievers 9A+ and above

PUTRAJAYA: ALL 1,609 students who scored 9A+ and above will automatically be offered a bursary for pre-entry university programmes before pursing their first degree at local or foreign universities.

The bursary will be offered for pre-entry university programmes include the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia, matriculation programmes under the Education Ministry, foundation programmes under the Higher Education Ministry and the International Baccalaurate (IB) or A-Level.

The bursary will be offered to students who have secured a place at government-endorsed institutions offering pre-entry university programmes.

A total of 1,020 students scored 9A+, 10A+ (492 students), 11A+ (90 students) and 12A+ (7 students) for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2011.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, said students who completed their pre-entry programmes will continue to be sponsored for the first degree beginning 2014 provided they achieve a CGPA of at least 3.5 and have secured places at local and foreign universities for studies recognised by the Public Services Department (PSD).

He also announced that the government will also offer scholarships to 50 SPM top achievers to undertake further studies at Ivy League universities overseas recognised by the government.

The selected candidates will be the creme de la creme chosen by the Education Ministry based on their academic merits.

The Ivy League universities include Oxford University, Cambridge University, Imperial College and University College London (all in the UK) and Harvard University, John Hopkins University, Stanford University, Yale University, University of California Los Angeles and Duke University (in the US).

"Selected candidates will be offered a scholarship from the preparatory stage to the first degree, subject to the conditions set and the Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) recognition of students' choice of studies at the foreign universities," he said in a statement issued today.

Muhyiddin said the Cabinet agreed that the government, through the Ministry of Education and the PSD, to continue the sponsorship of outstanding students to pursue their studies at home and abroad this year.

He said the government is aware that some students, who had produced excellent results during the examination, were not able to secure the sponsorships as competition is intense.

He said at the same time, the government too has limitations financially as the cost of education continues to rise.

Students can go to www.moe.gov.my to review and update the profile under the bursary programme beginning April 16 2012.

Source: New Straits Times


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Wednesday, April 04, 2012

How to Replace Lost STPM or SPM Certificates

Posted by Chong

Misplace your original Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) certificates? Or lost them due to natural disaster like flood or fire? Feel safe to know that now you can apply for replacement.

There are two ways to obtain a replacement copy of your SPM certificate. You can either visit Malaysian Examinations Syndicate (MES or Lembaga Peperiksaan, LP) office in Putrajaya or apply through post.

For those who choose to visit MES office at Block E11 in Putrajaya, you will need to show your MyKad, fill a form applying for a replacement copy of your SPM results and pay RM10 for postal order. The form, which can be downloaded online at http://www.moe.gov.my/lp, is also available at MES office. MES is able to process the application in an hour if you come in person with the relevant documents.

For those who choose to apply for SPM certificate replacement via post, you will need to first log a police report. The reason why police report is needed is to ensure that the certificate will not fall into the wrong hands, according to an Education Ministry officer. Then, you will need to mail all the relevant necessary documents together with the copy of police report to MES. MES will then send a copy of the replacement certificate through post.

Please take note that the process described above is only applicable to those who sat for the SPM from year 1994 onwards. For SPM before 1994, the whole replacement process might take two weeks to receive a copy of the certificate, as the information on the examinations has not been digitalised.
Sijil SPM Hilang? Panduan Permohonan Salinan Keputusan SPM
  1. Sijil dan Pernyataan Keputusan peperiksaan awam hanya dikeluarkan sekali sahaja.
  2. Lembaga Peperiksaan boleh mengeluarkan salinan keputusan sekiranya sijil / Pernyataan Keputusan asal hilang atau rosak. 
  3. Permohonan boleh dibuat dengan cara datang sendiri ke ibupejabat Lembaga Peperiksaan atau melalui pos.
  4. Pemohon hendaklah mengisi borang LP/SIJIL/Pin 1/06 yang boleh didapati di kaunter atau boleh dimuat turun daripada laman web Lembaga Peperiksaan.
  5. Bayaran proses ialah RM10.00 (Ringgit : Sepuluh sahaja) yang boleh dibayar secara tunai jika pemohon berurusan sendiri di kaunter. 
  6. Semua permohonan melalui pos hendaklah disertakan dengan Wang Pos  atau kiriman Wang Pos bernilai RM10.00 (Ringgit: Sepuluh sahaja) atas nama Pengarah Peperiksaan. Cek Persendirian tidak diterima.
  7. Pemohon digalakkan melampirkan salinan sijil atau Pernyataan Keputusan sekiranya ada.
MAKLUMAT UMUM
  1. Kaunter urusan dibuka pada setiap hari bekerja.
  2. Waktu urusan adalah seperti berikut:(i) Isnin hingga Khamis : 8.30 pg – 4.30 ptg (ii) Jumaat   : 8.30 pg – 12.00 tengahari 2.45 ptg – 4.30 ptg
  3. Salinan sijil SPM dan PMR tahun 1994 dan selepas akan dikeluarkan dalam masa 1 jam bagi permohonan di kaunter LP.
  4. Semua permohonan pos akan diproses dalam masa 7 hari bekerja tanpa mengira perjalanan pos.
  5. Lembaga Peperiksaan tidak mengeluarkan salinan sijil UPSR. Permohon dinasihatkan menghubungi sekolah untuk urusan tersebut.
  6. Lembaga Peperiksaan tidak menyimpan sijil asal calon. Calon yang tidak mengambil sijil asal dinasihatkan menghubungi sekolah atau Sektor Penilaian dan Peperiksaan Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri untuk mendapatkan sijil asal sekiranya sijil tersebut belum dituntut dalam masa 3 tahun setelah menduduki peperiksaan.
  7. Permohonan melalui pos hendaklah dialamatkan kepada:
LEMBAGA PEPERIKSAAN
KEMENTERIAN PELAJARAN MALAYSIA
BLOK E 11, KOMPLEKS E
PUSAT PENTADBIRAN KERAJAAN PERSEKUTUAN
PRESINT 1
62604 PUTRAJAYA
(UP: UNIT KECIL SIJIL)
TEL: 03-88843526/3528
Original Sijil STPM/SPM Certificate
For lost STPM certificates, you should download a form from Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC or Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia, MPM) website at http://www.mpm.edu.my You will need to pay RM50 for replacement but there is no need to make a police report. A copy of the certificate could be ready in two hours if the application is made in person at its counter in Bandar Baru Selayang.  For application by post, the MEC will process and post it a day after receiving the application.
Calon yang kehilangan sijil STPM boleh memohon kepada Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia untuk mendapatkan penyata keputusan yang disahkan atau salinan sijil. Permohonan melalui pos hendaklah disertai salinan kad pengenalan yang disahkan oleh Pengetua atau Pegawai Kumpulan A.

(a) Bagi permohonan mendapatkan penyata keputusan, caj sebanyak RM20.00 akan dikenakan bagi permohonan kali pertama, RM30.00 bagi permohonan kali kedua, dan RM50.00 bagi permohonan kali ketiga.  Bayaran hendaklah dibuat dengan Kiriman Wang atau Wang Pos atas nama Ketua Eksekutif Majlis  Peperiksaan Malaysia. Untuk mendapatkan borang, sila klik BORANG memohon penyata keputusan peperiksaan STPM/Ujian MUET.

(b) Bagi permohonan mendapatkan salinan sijil, calon akan dikenakan caj sebanyak RM50.00. Untuk mendapatkan borang, sila klik BORANG memohon salinan sijil STPM.
Bear in mind that SPM is governed by Ministry of Education, which is why you need to go to the Ministry of Education building at Putrajaya to apply for replacement.  STPM, on the other hand, is actually under Ministry of Higher Education, and the office of Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC or Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia, MPM) is at Bandar Baru Selayang, not Putrajaya. We recommend you, if you happen to stay in KL or Selangor area, to apply the replacement at their respective offices to get the replacement certificates fast and to save you from hassle like logging police report for lost SPM certificate.


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