Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)

Companies that participate in this Initiative are assisting in recouping the nation’s investment on Public Service Department (JPA) scholarships awarded to top Malaysian talent. Companies that have employed JPA scholars are therefore requested to:

  1. inform TalentCorp if a scholar will be or is subjected to disciplinary action or investigation by the company; and
  2. notify TalentCorp in the event of the resignation or termination of a scholar and provide reasons for resignation or termination.

Such information would assist in ensuring that the scholar serves his/her scholarship bond in a Malaysia-owned company.

The scholar's bond remains with JPA and is not transferred over to the company. Therefore, the company need not buy over the bond in order to employ the scholar. The period of the scholar's employment with the company will count towards serving his/her bond with JPA.

No, there are no costs involved for companies to participate in the initiative or to hire JPA scholars.

JPA scholars graduate in several cycles throughout the year from various universities around the globe and in-country. Participating companies will be able to check for new scholars at any point in time by clicking on 'Resume Request' on the STAR portal (https://star.talentcorp.com.my).

No, we do not impose any minimum number. We encourage companies to recruit as many scholars as they can.

No, the JPA scholarship bond is between the scholar and JPA. In the event the scholar leaves the company or does not comply with company regulations and is terminated, TalentCorp will not hold the company responsible. However, for monitoring purposes, the company is requested to inform TalentCorp regarding the termination or resignation of the scholar.

Termination of a scholar should be handled in the same way as termination of non-scholars in the company. However, for monitoring purposes, the company is requested to inform TalentCorp regarding the termination or resignation of a scholar.

The Initiative is only for JPA scholars who have been granted approval to participate.

The STAR Initiative is meant to be the platform for private sector companies to hire JPA scholars. If a company hires a JPA scholar outside of the STAR Initiative, kindly notify TalentCorp in order for steps to be taken in concert with JPA to “regularize” the scholar on to the Initiative. The scholar will then be able to serve his/her bond with the company in question.

Yes, you may. Please inform TalentCorp at your earliest convenience for the necessary steps to be taken to “regularize” the scholar on to the Initiative.

The initiative is currently open only for JPA scholars.

The initiative is currently open only for JPA scholars.

This Initiative allows companies, particularly those driving the ETP, to tap into a pool of talent that was previously inaccessible to them. This pool includes top talent from renowned universities around the world who will be able to greatly assist companies in achieving their goals and, as a result, help ensure the success of the ETP.

Interested companies may sign up at https://star.talentcorp.com.my/emp/reg.

It is preferable for subsidiary companies to be grouped under the parent company. However, if the two companies operate independently with separate HR departments that are not interlinked, the subsidiary company should register for its own account. TalentCorp will create individual accounts for HR Officers handling such matters.

STAR functions a platform for scholars and companies to regularize their employment.

Public Service Department (JPA) scholars who graduated in 2011 and thereafter are eligible to participate in the STAR Initiative.

You are allowed to participate if you have been contacted by TalentCorp and/or JPA. If you have not, but would like to participate, please get in touch with the STAR team at TalentCorp (star@talentcorp.com.my) or Bahagian Modal Insan, JPA.

If you are a JPA scholar who has just graduated, please ensure that you have reported for duty to JPA and applied to the Public Service Commission (SPA) before contacting the STAR team at star@talentcorp.com.my. We will be able to assist you.

  1. You continue to be bound by the terms and conditions of your scholarship contract with JPA.
  2. You must report for duty to JPA upon graduation and apply to SPA as per existing procedures. Failure to do so will be a breach of your contract with JPA, and will negate your eligibility to participate in the STAR Initiative.
  3. Once registered on the STAR portal, you are advised to seek employment among the participating STAR companies through the usual company recruitment processes.
  4. You are advised to inform TalentCorp if and when you receive an offer from a participating company.
  5. In the event you find employment in a company that is not registered on the STAR portal, you are requested to provide TalentCorp with your company’s HR Officer’s contact details for follow-through purposes.
  6. Upon approval, you are expected to serve your bond term with the company. If you change your place of employment and/or employer, you are expected to inform TalentCorp and JPA.

Your scholarship bond remains with JPA and is not transferred to the company. However, your employment with the company will count towards serving your scholarship bond. Any matters or issues regarding your bond should rightly be referred to JPA, not the company.

Once you have secured and accepted a job offer with a participating company, you will be directed by JPA to serve your bond in the participating company. However, in the event you change employers, you are expected to inform TalentCorp and JPA regarding your new employer, and submit your new offer letter so that the process of “regularization” can begin. This will ensure that your employment with the new company is taken into account towards serving your bond obligations.

We are continuously looking to add more companies onto the Initiative. If the company you are interested to work for is not currently participating, please introduce them to the Initiative and lead them to the STAR portal at https://star.talentcorp.com.my to sign up.

You are permitted to do so, but a deferment letter from JPA is required for approval. During the deferment period, your bond will be frozen until you have completed your studies. Once you have completed your studies, you are required to start serving your bond within the government body or the private sector.

Nevertheless, it is not recommended for JPA scholars to take a holiday/gap year as graduated JPA scholars must seek employment within a one (1) year period after graduating. In any case you are required to take a gap year, kindly get approval from JPA.

Your refusal to be part of the Initiative will be forwarded to JPA for further action.

If the company you are interested to work for is not currently participating, please introduce them to TalentCorp and lead them to the STAR portal at https://star.talentcorp.com.my/emp/reg to sign up

It is advisable for you to get an approval from JPA. JPA will decide on this based on case to case basis.

You can only opt for management trainee programmes in Malaysia to ensure that you are able to serve your bond with JPA while being employed. The duration of your management trainee contract must be one (1) year or more.

If you plan to resign from your current company, you are required to submit the following documents via email to star@talentcorp.com.my :

  • Letter of Resignation
  • Letter of Confirmation (click here to download)
  • Letter of Offer (LOO) and Letter of Agreement (LOA) from your new company

If you have received a permanent job offer from Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam (SPA), you are required to submit your Letter of Offer (LOO) via email to star@talentcorp.com.my.

Kindly contact STAR at star@talentcorp.com.my for further enquiries.