KUALA LUMPUR: Students on Public Service Department (JPA) bursaries stand to lose their sponsorship if they are found to have criticised the Government, says its director-general Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim Seman (pic).

In a telephone interview with Sin Chew Daily, Zainal said that it was justifiable to withdraw the bursaries offered to such students if they were found to have issued remarks which would dent the country's image on social media sites such as Facebook and blogs.

He said scholarships were given to outstanding students to help them focus on their studies, not to distribute inaccurate information detrimental to the Government.

"The Government provides financial assistance to these students to allow them to focus on their studies to acquire knowledge and become professionals in the future.

"Their mission is to concentrate on their studies. Why do they spread lies without supporting statistics to taint the Government's image?" he said. – Sin Chew Daily/Asia News Network