Rep takes JPA to task over students’ loan repayment

SIBU: Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang yesterday expressed disgust that jobless medical graduates waiting to do their housemanship have been pressed to settle their scholarship fund.

In a press statement yesterday, Chang, who is also DAP Sibu vice chairperson and state DAP’s director of Women’s Affairs’ Bureau, said she had received a few complaints from medical students who had received a letter from Public Services Department (JPA) demanding they pay back the scholarship fund for their medical course.

She said these students had all completed their medical degree, reported themselves back to the government, being put on waiting list for a placement in housemanship and while waiting, some received the letter demanding they pay back their scholarship fund.

She said these students were advised that they were put on the waiting list as there was no vacancy for them.

In a case brought to her, she said the letter demanded for a payment of more than RM900,000 to be paid within 60 days from the date of the letter.

After receiving the letter, she said the medical student wrote to JPA to appeal against the payment because the student had always been ready to serve in the government.

“He has emails to prove it. Those emails clearly stated that he was waiting for placement and in fact in some emails, he was literally pleading for a housemanship placement.”

However, instead of favourably considering the student’s appeal, she said JPA rejected his appeal and insisted he pay within the 60 days, failing which JPA would take legal action against him.

“JPA needs to address this. We all know overseas scholarship was scraped by JPA last year because of shrinking revenue. Is it that the government, because of our shrinking revenue, has decided to go after our medical students by alleging they had refused to serve the government?”

She said these medical students had done all they could and were told to wait for a placement.

Not only had the government failed to secure a place of training for them, but instead, the students were being penalised to pay a hefty sum even before they could start their career, she added.

She said there was also a confusion - the students had wanted to serve in the government, and pending a position for them, they were slapped with a letter of demand, alleging they had refused to serve in the government.

“This is not true and unfair on the students. If no jobs can be allocated to them, students caught in this dilemma should be released from their bond with the government without any demand for scholarship repayment because it is not their fault.”

She said these students should be encouraged to look for alternative job positions and to stay back to contribute positively to the nation.