How long has this been going on?

We all know our country needs more doctors. Yet government sponsored medical students are released from their bonds easily without having to repay nor return to serve. Is there anyone responsible or accountable for this state of affairs? This is not the first letter I have read nor is it going to be the last.

According to 'Malaysian student' in a letter to Malaysiakini:

I am a Malaysian medical student based in Dublin, Ireland who has been following the developments back home with concern. From my view and personal observations as a student of the health sciences, I would like to bring to attention certain issues relating to Malaysian students overseas.

Indeed, there always has been much furore each year over the number of scholarships which are given out by government agencies most notably Mara and JPA in order for them to pursue their studies overseas, particularly in the area of medicine. I am all for the increase in numbers of scholarships to provide deserving students with such an opportunity, and to increase the number doctors back in Malaysia.

However, what deeply concerns me and, I believe, most taxpayers in this country are the numbers of those who pursue their medical studies overseas, often at a cost in excess of an exorbitant RM1 million per student and then choose to abscond from their 10 year bond in government service. As an example, school fees alone in the institution where I am based is Euro40,000 a year - that's a hefty RM200,000 per year for a five year undergraduate medical course per student, excluding living expenses and other incidentals which amount to at least another RM50,000 per academic year. May I also add that most of the Malaysian students in my course, dare I say 90 percent of my fellow Malaysian classmates, are on government scholarships.

I understand that this issue has been brought up many times in the media, but more often that not those in charge of bringing these people back brush it off as just a 'small number', or even worse claim that stringent measures will be undertaken to prevent this - an unfounded claim, as I see with my own eyes every day.

Read the rest of his letter http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/90059 .