Study Grant

Last Sunday, I attended a sub-committee meeting for a small association at Jalan Masjid India. It was a small association with a couple of thousand members, but most of them are inactive. The committe decides the giving of small book prizes to students who achieve significant good exam results and study grants to deserving undergraduates, who are the members' children. There are three of us in the commiitte. I was appointed the head beginning this year after 4 years as a member.

Last Sunday meeting was to award the study grant of RM1.000 to the undergraduates. Every A in the STPM deserves a RM100.00 and every A in the SPM a RM20.00. It is a voluntary work so we get no pay, no transport allowance, no food allowance and just an appreciated thank from the chairman. Anyway, this is one honourable gesture to contribute back to society.

We recieved a lots of applications for the grant and the book prize. At the end, we decided to awarded 15 SPM performers, 8 STPM result-holders and 16 undergraduates. Of course, we rejected some due to some reasons.

Sometimes, I wonder why some applicants, who could easily get the prizes and grants, just lose it because they simply refuse to follow simple instructions of what they ought to do. In fact, we even considered those who did not meet the dateline. We even called them in their house to make sure that they submit us the wanted supporting documents or faxed us the required acknowledgement.

But, some did not follow-up what we requested and one even SMS his varsity result to my hand-phone, when I told him that I need a certified true copy, verified result slip. There is even one MMU undergraduate who perhaps , I must admit, wants to show his learned creativity to us by setting his results colourfully in a fantastic format and further submitted a copy via e-mail, when we just want a simple certified hard copy. There is also a case when one submitted his result of exam taken a year earlier. Then there is one who submitted his final year result, ie, he is a graduate.....why the hell he needs this study grant. Don't you think he is selfish to deprive a chance for those more deserving students who need the money and are still studying in the varsity. These applicants are rejected at the first instant.

In fact, last year, there was one ex-committee, whose son submitted the final year result and had graduated looking for a job. Wow, this guy tried to create havoc for me, stabbing my back, bad-mouthed me to the chairman and secretary, which I didn't bother. But when he started SMS to me ,calling my house and office at odd hours for explanations as to why I rejected his son's application for the grant ( which I had explained upteen times over and over again), it got me agitated. First of all, that was a committee's decision. Secondly, the rules and regulations of the award was stated in the association's constitution. Thirdly, being an ex-committee before he should know how things work. I warned him not to pester me, and told him that I would see him in court, only then the pestering stopped.

Just as I thought everything was fine, the chairman called me up and requested to know more about the situation. I thought he knew everything. When the final list was done he would have to approve it with the secretary and treasurer. So, I asked him what he wanted me to do. I think he must have felt offended and tried to psyche me up. After a 12 minutes pep-talk from him, I could but only say, "Well, if you think this case deserves the grant, I won't stop you. But in my list, that name is out. And if that name appears, I am out of the committee."

The reason is simple; because if that guy gets the grant, then every graduate would qualify. I added further, "We must give the grant to all other graduates. They understand the rules and that's why they are shy and do not apply; except for this thick-skin "malu" chap and some more wants his father to bring this nonsensical matter to you and the secretary."

The chairman agreed with me finally after I told him this, "If we would to give this RM1,000.00 to him as a graduate, he would never be able to stand on his own feet as he should be working now. Some more why must he relied on his father's effort, which by right he should be registered as a member of the association and see what he can contribute back to us after getting the thousands when he was a student. He is smart and excels in his studies but he has to know the limit the association can afford to him. He has to learn to grow up. Just look at those members who have never get any single sen from the association and still contribute to the association through efforts and kinds."

At the end, his name did not appear in the list. I simply can't stand this kind of person who simply wants to take a free ride and free lunch this way. I knew I was a bit aggressive at that moment,but luckily the ever diplomatic chairman accomodated my stand. After that, the secretary called me and said, " What you have done is right. You know or not, we have this kind of problem every year but we just please these people by giving in to them and sometimes from our own pockets. The monies is not much but we dare not put the full-stop to it. At least now, it is seen done."

I hope I won't be getting any calls from those who did not get into the list this year. I rather sip a glass of "Teh Boh Ais Kurang Manis" peacefully in my house than entertaining those idiotic demanding calls.