PSD: The focus is on the first degree

2009/11/03

NIK NORAINI NIK YA for Director-General Public Service Department Putrajaya

THe Public Service Department (PSD) refers to A.C. Daniella's complaint about her difficulty in winning recognition from a Malaysian university for her graduate diploma in education from the University of Western Australia ("Overseas degree rejected by PSD"-- NST, Oct 16).

The goal of recognition of qualifications by the Malay-sian government to ensure that the holder of the qualification is suitable for appointment to a specified scheme in the public service.

Most appointments in the public service are based on first-degree qualifications.

Daniella is eligible to be appointed to the public service as her first degree, from Universiti Sains Malaysia, is recognised by the government.

Her appointment to the public service, however, is subject to her satisfying other criteria set by the appointing authority, such as a satisfactory performance at the interview.

Generally, PSD does not concern itself with recognition of postgraduate qualifications as these are not an entry-level criterion. Recognition is only considered if the university applies to PSD for this recognition, or when the government plans to send its scholars to foreign universities for specific courses.

To date, no application has been received from the University of Western Australia for recognition of its graduate diploma in education.