KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged young Malaysians to seize the opportunity provided by the government to excel in their studies and fulfil their dreams.

He said on Saturday that the government had implemented numerous initiatives, with several more in the pipeline, to give them the chance to realise their goals and dreams.

The initiatives included the provision of Public Service Department scholarships for those who scored well in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, he said.

"It was decided that -- irrespective of whether you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, or from any other ethnic group -- all students will qualify for scholarships if you obtain 9A+ or more.

"This is a government that will listen to the needs on the ground, and I am certain you agree that this merit-based opportunity indicates that my colleagues and I are very serious about bringing forth a transformation in line with the 1Malaysia concept," Najib said in his blog at www.1malaysia.com.my.

Najib said, however, that meritocratic principles must be applied along with principles of social justice, and that students with fewer socio-economic opportunities who score lower than 9A+ would also be given support for further studies.

"For example, a student living in poor conditions in a clearly disadvantaged area might not achieve a 9A+ result, but is still capable of producing an excellent result, despite the handicap.

"For this display of great perseverance against challenging circumstances, you can see that the student deserves to be supported to pursue a higher education.

"Hence, in recent months, I have witnessed several grants awarded to students living in Tumpat, Long Banga, Kanowit, Brickfields and in Putrajaya, to name but a few," he added.

There were also other initiatives in the pipeline, which Najib said he would personally look into.

He added that the savings achieved from the recent subsidy rationalisation exercise would also be channelled towards providing more education opportunities.

"To my younger readers: embrace this golden opportunity to succeed. This is a clear manifesto that we are here to help you. We want you to do well," he said.

Najib said: "We have listened to your needs and to the requests left by your parents in this blog and have laid down a clear path for you to excel academically. I urge you to take this chance by the scruff of the neck to fulfil your dreams."

Najib also called on parents and teachers "to guide and encourage our young to focus on realising their aspirations through hard work."

"Remind them that they will be rewarded for their high grades, and never allow them to waver. Their education begins from home," he said.