Kuala Lumpur, 6 September 2022 – Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) awarded 306 scholarships and bursaries worth more than RM19 million to deserving Malaysian students at the annual Scholarship Award Ceremony (SAC) on 5 September 2022. YSD, as the philanthropic arm of Sime Darby Berhad, Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, and Sime Darby Property Berhad, are awarding scholarships again this year as part of the foundation’s unwavering commitment to providing inclusive and quality education for all. YSD Chairman Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar and guest of honour, YB Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, graced the occasion.

With this year’s theme “Education for All”, the SAC was held in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day, as a true reflection of the spirit and aspirations of Keluarga Malaysia.

The YSD scholarship and bursary recipients are exceptional students from various backgrounds. One of whom is Mr Muhammad Ammar bin Azman, the son to an employee of Sime Darby Property Berhad, who is a 22-year-old brain cancer survivor. He received a bursary under the Employees’ Children Education Programme to pursue a Diploma in Education (Islamic Studies) at Universiti Selangor. Ammar completed his SPM and memorised the whole Al-Quran at a Tahfiz; all while undergoing 6 operations and radiotherapy to combat brain cancer.

Another scholarship recipient is Ms Lee Jia Yi, who will be pursuing her studies in Electrical Engineering at the prestigious University of Oxford under the YSD Excellence Scholarship Programme.

This year, 21 persons with disabilities were awarded education bursaries, one of whom is Mr Krithin Pereira who is afflicted with cerebral palsy. He is passionate about cars, and is pursuing a diploma in Automotive Engineering at Young Aces Technical College with YSD support.

The Guest of Honour, YB Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, presented certificates to the students with disabilities; as well as the YSD Inspirational Award recipient, Iffah Nabilah Mahadi, who achieved the third highest ACCA examination results in Malaysia and 22nd placing in the world; and YSD Excellence Award recipient Lai Yu-Hung - an outstanding academic achiever, who is also active in participating in international innovation competitions, community service initiatives, and sports.

77 education bursary recipients are underprivileged students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) who were initially unable to secure university placements mainly due to their SPM results, but are given a second chance to pursue their tertiary education. The collaborative effort is part of YSD’s long-term sponsorship commitment of RM11 million with UiTM’s Program Pra Pendidikan Tinggi (PPT) to provide access to higher education to more than 7,400 underprivileged students from 2011 to 2024.

During the celebration, YSD Chairman, Y.A.M. Tunku Imran said, “The YSD scholarship award recipients are amongst the most outstanding young individuals in the country, from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. It is encouraging to see that 86% of the scholars awarded today come from low-income families, and we are excited to help all these talented and ambitious young adults in their education journey.”

With the growing importance of vocational skills in supporting the nation’s economic and educational strategies, 115 vocationally inclined individuals from underprivileged backgrounds were awarded RM2.95 million TVET bursaries under the YSD Skill Enrichment Programme. This sponsorship allows them to pursue various vocational courses in the field of engineering, heavy equipment, welding and creative arts with the Sime Darby Industrial Academy, 6 Kolej Komuniti under the purview of Polytechnic and Vocational Department of the Ministry of the Higher Education (MoHE), KRU Academy, and The Welding Institute (TWI) Malaysia. YSD also takes great effort in helping the B40 scholars to secure jobs upon study completion to help their families, with 95% of TVET students securing jobs within 6 months of graduation.

YSD also awarded over RM2.1 million in scholarships to 17 Sime Darby employees towards continuous learning, including to four high potential talents who will be pursuing an MBA for Working Professionals in collaboration with Asia School of Business and the prestigious MIT Sloan, and another 52 employees’ children to pursue diploma and undergraduate studies locally.

From the Excellence category, YSD awarded 41 students with outstanding academic achievements and strong leadership qualities with scholarships worth more than RM12.2 million to pursue various levels of tertiary education. This year, this category of scholars will pursue their studies at top learning institutions in Malaysia, United Kingdom, and Canada.

All YSD Scholars are given access to the THRIVE Programmes – a one-of-a-kind comprehensive learning experience unique to YSD – designed to develop all-rounded and socially aware graduates through soft skills training, mentorship support, resilient leadership development, industrial internships, volunteerism opportunities, and access to an e-learning platform.

YSD hopes that this year’s scholarship awards will place the foundation in a good position to build a sustainable pool of industry leaders to drive Malaysia’s economic and industrial growth for the long term, while promoting inclusivity. Next year, students who meet the criteria are encouraged to visit YSD’s website and apply for our scholarships and bursaries, which will be open for new applications in March 2023.