JYSim for jobless-yokel Sim

My heartiest, sincerest and warmest congratulations to all those who succeded their JPA appeal. Please be reminded that a JPA scholarship is such a HUGE honour and you’re obliged to accept it.
Again, I urge you to think again why did you applied for a JPA scholarship. JPA scholarships are so in high demand nowadays that in the process of applying for one we very often blurred our vision and think getting one is so good we’d even die for it. Frankly, I’d been one of these people and I can tell you this isn’t healthy. You’ll ground yourself to the eSila website all the time and spend sleepless nights wondering where you’ll go without a JPA. I go so passive when PosLaju (or PosLayu) misplaced my letter from JPA without a note and even written an obituary. I stupidly think that JPA is my only meal ticket for the next 50 years, forgetting my other friends’ feelings who stumble more than once dealing with the Malaysian government.
My trip to Taiwan ROC proved to be helpful in widening my point of view - JPA ain’t everything. In TCU (Tzu Chi University) I was treated like a royalty. Half a dozen of medical students from Malaysia warmly welcomed us. Their warmth touched me deeply I felt guilty for treating my friends coldly during those SPM days where every minute counts. In TCU I realised academic achievements ain’t everything one can strive for, though till now I can’t figure out what I’d go for besides academic achievements (perhaps, love?).
Back to the point, I urge all JPA scholars to think of why you so desperately want a JPA scholarship. Several statistical-proven frequent answers as below.
1. Because I can go overseas with JPA.
Yes, undeniably you can go overseas, which is an illutionarily excellent idea for developing countries citizens. But think again, especially for ‘ordinary’ (nothing discriminative here) courses i.e. pharm, engineering etc, can’t you do it at local privates? Yes, you pay a relatively expensive sum, but you get an international education, plus NO BOND. Perhaps it’s the fact that Sagittaureans love freedom, but being bonded with the government isn’t something desirable. Yes, you’re guarenteed a job, but I’m sure excellent Chung Ling students need no job-seeking agency to land themselves in IBM or Reynolds.
2. Because everybody’s applying.
When AliCafe shows TV commercials every 5 minutes, does it make it the best coffee in the world? People apply for JPA scholarships because 1. it comes in a whole package, including your student visa, attache and university placement. 2. It’s the only choice for below-average income groups (like Mr. Tan Ying Jing). Nowadays with AusEd, UniEd and things like that we’re guarenteed a good U placement as long as you have blasting good results. For below-income groups with excellent results you actually deserve JPA, so skip everything and go pack up. The amount of students applying for JPA actually glorifies it, and I personally think you should filter the glory and consider seriously. If you can actually afford it, go yourself and save the bond, and give people another chance. If you’re just applying because everybody else is applying, go to hell.
3. JPA good-mah! All expenses covered, what’s wrong with JPA?
The bond dude THE BOND!! Again, Sagittaureans shout aye-aye! 10 years is a little taxing for docs. and God knows who you’ll meet in your 10 years. A stubborn M’ will kill your 10 years by not signing your application for postgrad. 6 years might be relatively short, but you gotta divide your fees and living expenses by the bond and see how much you’re working for the government every year. By the time you finish your bond, those underdogs doing F6 might have overtook you in terms of salary and seniority.
4. Because I won’t have to blast my head off in F6 and end up with a course I don’t like.
In fact F6 leads you to more places including those hidden behind ‘bushes’. My salutations to those who so passionately and grippingly believe in F6. I sincerely hope you’ll end up with a good U, not just those locally, and overtake us at the end. We’re overtakers if we judge the Malaysian Education System strictly. Never deny any possibilities ahead, and frankly, with JPA, you blind yourself from any other alternatives.
I write this not out of pity for 6th Formers but rather to express my surprise after informally interviewing some JPA scholars these couple of days. Ok, I’m so fortunate to be awarded another opportunity before blinding myself and jumping into a pit called JPA, but again, my intentions are genuine. Make your intentions of taking JPA clear and stick to them least you should be unhappy in years to come. And never cheat for any scholarships, no matter how many powerful people you’ve got back there. JPA is not immaculate or anyhow godly, the devil starts after you graduate.
And thus I hereby declare I’m OUT of the JPA formation.

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