KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC is unhappy with the low percentage of Public Service Department overseas scholarships allocated to Indian students, party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said only 34 Indian students were successful in their application last year.

The party received 194 appeals from students, some of whom obtained 12 1As in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, Samy Vellu said in a statement.

The party has prepared a list of the 194 appeal cases including two students with 12 1As, three students with 11 1As and 41 students with 10 1As.

"I will request the MIC representative in the Cabinet (Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam) to bring up the appeal cases in the next Cabinet meeting (on Friday)."

Samy Vellu said he had also discussed the matter with the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan and would follow up with him.

"I hope the government will consider the appeals by the students, especially those with excellent grades," he said, adding that some students came from poor backgrounds.

He said the department should set a minimum requirement similar to that for matriculation courses in selected universities and Form Six in fully-aided schools, in which it offerred scholarships to all students who scored 9As in their SPM. - Bernama