Nazri: PSD send students to Ukraine, Russia because it is cheaper

The government always held discussions with countries like Egypt, Ukraine, Russia and Romania to accept more medical students from Malaysia.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the government realizes that the cost for studying medicine in these countries is much cheaper when compared with the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland and Australia.

“The Public Services Department (PSD) are aware of the cost of studying in the UK, Ireland and Australia as it can reach up to RM1.2 million per student compared with RM300,000 in Indonesia and Egypt.

“As such, PSD and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) send many medical students to Egypt, Ukraine, Romania and Russia because the cost is much lower.

Furthermore,universities in these countries readily accepted our students, no matter who sponsored them – the private of government,” he told Ibrahim Ali(Bebas-Pasir Mas) at the Dewan Rakyat.

Ibrahim had wanted to know whether the government intended to send more PSD sponsored students to countries where the cost was low because such a move would enable more students to be provided such scholarship.

Mohamed Nazri added that the PSD had sent 2,034 students to pursue medicine in 2008, 2009 and 2010 at a cost of RM1.6 billion.

– Bernama