His Majesty calls for new scholarship policy

IN ENSURING that Brunei Darussalam meets its current and future human resource needs, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to the establishment of a Special Body responsible to carry out evaluations for the country’s Human Resource Planning Policy, Borneo Bulletin reported.

The new body, His Majesty said, will be a platform for ministries and the private sector to provide estimation of the county’s required workforce.

The monarch also said he wanted a new and firmer vetting policy for government scholarships to ensure only the best and worthy students are selected.

The ruler delivered a titah in London during a get-together ceremony with Bruneian citizens and residents in the United Kingdom and Ireland yesterday.

His Majesty also reminded government scholarship awardees overseas of their commitment and loyalty to the country.

Noting that high academic achievers make up a big number of those attending the ceremony held at the Hilton on Park Lane Hotel, London yesterday, His Majesty said they make up part of a “continuous investment for the nation’s future”.

The monarch added that not only well-educated citizens are desired, but they must also demonstrate strong leadership and ethics. “That is the objective of the government in producing human resource required by the nation,” His Majesty said.

However, the monarch said despite frequent reminders and encouragement, there are still some issues prevalent among students. “Among them are cases of academic failures and retaining classes which leads to students switch their courses,” His Majesty said.

His Majesty also said there are a number of government scholarship holders who have implored to be discharged from being bonded to serve the government. “All of these are potentially harmful for the government’s plans and allocation,” the ruler said.

“In this respect, where does their commitment and loyalty lay with the government and the nation?” His Majesty rhetorically asked.

On this matter, His Majesty said he was pleased to note that the Ministry of Education (MoE) has taken the initiative this year to ensure that only worthy candidates are granted scholarships through the introduction of ‘Multiple Mini Interview’ (MMI), where candidates are not only assessed in terms of academic achievement, but also their loyalty and commitment to the country.

His Majesty also reminded the MoE to constantly scrutinise the type of courses to be offered to scholarship students due to the fact that some students are known to have deliberately selected courses not offered in local universities just to gain scholarship grant overseas.

Constant monitoring, His Majesty said, will avoid a mismatch with the country’s employment needs which is fast becoming a major factor in global employment.

His Majesty said in Brunei Darussalam alone, approximately 18,000 youths are job seekers, including those who have attained higher education, which is now on the rise from 470 in 2001 to 968 individuals in 2011.

His Majesty also advised students not to rely solely on the government for employment as they must be willing to instil the spirit of entrepreneurship in themselves.

His Majesty also hoped that the students will not sway from the path of education. “They should not lose their path when faced with certain circumstances, such as negative elements that seek to influence students, be it undesirable religious faiths or ideologies,” the monarch added.

His Majesty said recently there was news of a student who adopted a particular ideology to the extent that the student has abandoned his family and country for decades.

The monarch also reminded students to adhere to the teachings of Islam and also to follow the developments at home, especially on measures to implement the Syariah Penal Code. “Even though not in their homeland, students must also be aware at least of the meanings contained therein,” His Majesty added.

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