As the world continues to mourn the 298 victims killed when the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in Ukraine this week, three South Sudanese who were supposed to board the flight are still stranded in Amsterdam waiting to be deported back to South Sudan via Kenya after being prevented from boarding.
The three, believed to have been ‘awarded’ academic sponsorships by PETRONAS, a Malaysian oil and gas company, arrived Amsterdam from Juba, South Sudan via Kenya a day earlier but were prevented from boarding the connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur after airport staff, in coordination with PETRONAS Education Sponsorship Unit, noticed some ‘suspicious irregularities’ and inconsistencies that prompted an investigation into their academic sponsorship claims and reasons for visiting Malaysia.
The sponsorship program demands that applicants meet a strict set of conditions, but experience has shown that through the unregulated and corrupt practices of the governments like the one in South Sudan, some of those who finally arrive Kuala Lumpa have not seen or do not remember how the inside of a classroom looks like.
Students have to be between 17-23 years of age, with a ‘good command of written and spoken’ English, and (not compulsory but helpful), an understanding that phrases like ‘my father is a minister’ do not work beyond the borders of South Sudan.
Last year, the sponsors together with the airlines decided to cross examine all student-visa bearers especially from South Sudan, Nigeria, and Libya before entering Malaysia – a move that has saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars, but still continue to rob the countries (and those qualified) of opportunities.
Saakam has now gathered that two of the three are half-siblings, sons of a late general and relatives of a senior official in the ministry of Education in South Sudan. The third is a 50-something year old on-and-off SPLA soldier and long time bodyguard of the late general and father of the other two. The last time the ex-combatant went to school was in 1987 when he was ordered to pick up and evacuate the children of this boss during an attack by enemies forces in Torit – a garrison town under the command of the general.
This is not the first time sponsored academic opportunities have become victim to the shame-deficient and numbingly corrupt officials of the government of South Sudan.
Deng Gatbel an affected citizen said, “Our officials do not give chances to citizens in a better way. Many have applied for sponsorships announce by the same government but they take nobody but their sons and their cousins to study those courses abroad. Our leaders like good things only for themselves these are golden chances but they can be easily corrupted.” [quote Gurtong]
PETRONAS has disassociated itself from the three and KLM, the airlines that got them to the Netherlands, has been slapped with a small fine. Preparations are under-way to safely return the three to South Sudan.
PETRONAS is expected to review the program at the end of the year and make a decision based on the findings whether to renew the program or explore other alternatives.
Under the academic sponsorship, South Sudan can specialize in seven areas which include chemical engineering, civil engineering, Tech- Petroleum geosciences, Tech- information and communications technology and others.
Had they boarded MH17, they would have been the 299th,300th and 301st passengers – the only Africans and South Sudanese on the list.
September 16, 2015 at 7:09 am
God bless poor south Sudanese, and rise those who are lower level.
July 21, 2014 at 9:47 am
Shame on them, next time they will face it
July 20, 2014 at 12:40 pm
May God bless the poor people of South Sudan……..
July 20, 2014 at 11:32 am
Its just a big lie , I mean its a fake news has been created by Saakam trying to mess up the vision of South Sudanese people in this critical time , prove me wrong Mr Saakam by bringing the link from Aljazeera from which you made up this Photoshop hahaha..
shame on you to mislead people on such poor and dirty games like this . So bring up the links please or any
July 20, 2014 at 12:29 pm
KurditAmok, If you can read, which I suspect you can, then you should have known this is satire. If you want information about the story, then start at our ‘About’ page. If that is not enough, let us know.
July 20, 2014 at 3:58 pm
What I have to do with your (About page)? I told you there is No any such a news about 3 South Sudanese prevented from boarding MH17 in Aljazeera news , Don’t play around provide us with the resource if you could if not then its a lie as I said before and you have to accept it that’s all . By the way you should not have to involved Jazeera in this is your own lie. Thanks
July 20, 2014 at 4:41 pm
The answers are in the about page. It’s all clear from the start that it is satire. Clearly, you can not spot it, and I do not blame you. There are clues everywhere pointing to that, and I can not do much more to educate you.
July 20, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Ok , Thank you I got you it’s a lie but you don’t want other readers to know that wright? With these answers now I realized I’m in the wrong place .
July 20, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Go luck and thank you.
July 20, 2014 at 8:07 am
they should have been allowed to perish with the rest. my condolence to the innocent people who lost their lives in the tragedy. but the south sudanese should have better die for their generals to know that it was wrong to hijack public goods for themselves alone
July 20, 2014 at 6:51 am
thank God for extracting what they thought to be hidden forever. Nothin can not be revealed. it’s the time that the chances will go out to the people they’re designed for according to requirement , instead of inverting them for self benefit. it’s time for a children of south Sudan to be given an equal opportunity according to their ability not of being a son of high ranked official. thank God for always there for those whose talents and ability can’t be seen by those who always serve self interests.
July 19, 2014 at 8:29 pm
This so called corruption is a real cancer-like disease that is affecting the citizens of South Sudan and if not avoided we are hardly going to progress. prayers that God the almighty saves the nation.
July 19, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Eat your greens today because tomorrow they may turn brown or gray
That the theme in South Sudan
July 19, 2014 at 7:18 pm
it is a great shame to the nation of such kind
July 19, 2014 at 7:11 pm
God knows all our secrets. Two things that amused me, a Malaysian comment that the three look like they do not know what a classroom is and how they escape the crash! Addtion, a 50 yr old man? It is easier for the lucky ones to pass through the eye of a needle but The people who sent them have provoked the image of the country.
July 19, 2014 at 6:27 pm
Quoted as saying ‘have not seen or do not remember how the inside of a classroom look like’ Are they going for touring? Saakam further gathered that ‘two of the three are half-siblings,son of late general & relatives of a senior official in the Ministry of Education’ Is that house-whole sponsorship? What a shameful Country with a shameful acts!!!!!! PETRONAS carried illiterate guys like sacks all the way from Africa-Asia w/out knowing their status, What a confused NGO?
July 19, 2014 at 4:20 pm
only God can save south Sudan,otherwise there is no future for this nation being swallowed by corruption
July 19, 2014 at 3:54 pm
South Sudan will never move forward. No Educated South Sudanese is working for the current Government, All Educated Citizen are working for NGOs and Companies
July 19, 2014 at 3:35 pm
They are lucky otherwise they would have gone becouse of corruption …..tribalisim in south sudan shame on those
July 19, 2014 at 3:30 pm
The god of south sudan must be a good one
July 19, 2014 at 3:29 pm
This is how the cancer of corruption spreads. He who benefited from corruption, will not know any other way accept corruption. we should also avoid those who are buying academical certificates fro abroad because they have easy bloody money of S.Sudan. But there’s a message right there. No one will avoid God’s wrath when it comes. May God bless other poor SS.
July 19, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Walai Saakam you got the best out of your fan. Love you more. Hehehe. And by the way what a way to get the best outta your fan. The above comments … never cease to mention God. GOD IS GOOD.
July 19, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Roslyn, saakam will always be you home… it feels good to get so much attention
July 19, 2014 at 1:31 pm
Walai Saakam you the best out of your fan. Love you more. Hehehe.
July 19, 2014 at 11:43 am
Thank you God because corruption of South Sudan is aborting itself across the world. Many children of the innocent are lingering on the streets of South Sudan looking for sponsorship, while their rights has been hijacked. But our God works in mysterious ways. You think you will hide from God, but no, he sees you beyond the lenses of corruption, nepotism and tribal hegemonic. While it has work for your good to survive the plane crashed, shame on you because you attempted to go through the window.
July 19, 2014 at 10:40 am
Thanks be to the most HIGH for having spared their lives. However, they should be deported back to South Sudan as soon as possible. This is a serious warning to those good for nothing, greedy, self seeking and self proclaimed politicians who always grand such opportunities to their children or close relatives who have no qualifications. We need change!!!
July 19, 2014 at 10:19 am
It,s should be better if the authority of malaysian leave them to fly and die in plan crash in ukarine in rebels held area
July 19, 2014 at 10:08 am
This is a mere lie created to destroy the name of our Country. The evaluation and Selection of Students for Petronas schalorships is strictly carried out by staffs of the Petronaz university of Technology not the government of South Sudan. A candidate has to go through so many selection exercises run by said staffs after being shortlisted. Moreover, those who passed the interviews last year are currently studying in UTP not denied as u said. Shame on the writer!!!
July 19, 2014 at 11:02 pm
Magany or joe, we all know that you’re protecting your uncle who care less for the people of South Sudan. Though I am glad the three fellows didn’t die and they will be witness to others who want to sneak in without proper procedures. Saakam also said that one of the student is in his 50th. May be he is one of the last lost boys who have just graduated from h/school and looking for advance program abroad.
July 19, 2014 at 9:57 am
God bless south Sudan
July 19, 2014 at 9:54 am
last when PETRONAS advertised the I wanted to apply but I sensed something which made me to withdraw…..too bad!
July 19, 2014 at 9:51 am
I think educational sponsorship should be revise in the whole of S.S. At least, God has killed two birds with one stone, i.e. Exposed corruption as well saving lives of the innocent ‘students’.
July 19, 2014 at 9:15 am
If petronas should listen,council the sponsorship because the entire public of South Sudan citizen all years have been languishing for this sponsorship with no success.those benefiting are the children of the corrupt an illegitimate officials making about 90% of the beneficiaries.depot them immidiately and shame on them.
July 19, 2014 at 8:37 am
We should never wish them to die but i hope God will give the heart of change and should learn from the escape and they will tell their corrupt parents that this not accepted not only on human’s eyes but even in the eyes of God
July 19, 2014 at 8:27 am
Shame on you . May God punish those whom play with our Nation.S.S .
July 19, 2014 at 7:28 am
I wish they were not prevented so that the relatives can learn that corruption is bad and damaging the image of the nation.
July 19, 2014 at 9:48 am
you got it bro. I even applied for that scholarship and they denied me. I wish they were not prevented
July 19, 2014 at 5:52 am
Lucky they are, otherwise, they will have been history
July 19, 2014 at 4:55 am
Reblogged this on Emplotrilogy.
July 19, 2014 at 4:01 am
What does the crash have to do with the flopped scholarships?
July 19, 2014 at 11:06 pm
@ Kasaya, that is because the three people were part of corruption in our country South Sudan, and they almost met their death, plus the immigration in Europe detained them for being suspicious. that is the whole issue here. I hope you understand now.