50 students granted 1MDB scholarships worth RM2.25mil

KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) top scorers have received academic grants worth RM2.25mil from Yayasan 1MDB to pursue their tertiary studies locally and abroad.

This is the second year the foundation has teamed up with Dong Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association and United Chinese School Teachers Association) and Huaren Education Foundation to provide financial aid to top students from Chinese independent schools.

Yayasan 1MDB, the corporate social responsibility arm of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, funded the grant while Dong Jiao Zong and Huaren selected the students based on merit.

Cheerful moment: Dr Chua looking at a scholarship letter of student Ho Kai Jia during the 1MDB UEC scholarship presentation in HGH convention centre, Sentul, yesterday. Looking on are Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong (right), Dong Jiao Zong president Dr Yap Sin Tian (far right) and Lodin (fourth from right).

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the scholarships showed that the Government had kept its promise to help students from Chinese independent schools.

This is a recognition by the Government of the contributions by graduates from Chinese independent schools towards nation-building, he said during the presentation ceremony here yesterday.

Dr Chua said he hoped that recipients of the aid could improve themselves and that they, especially those studying overseas, would return to serve the country.

Each student will re! ceive RM 15,000 annually from the foundation, which comes without a bond, for the next three years.

An initial amount of RM750,000 for the first years grant was presented to the students by 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin at the ceremony.

Dr Chua said the grant was one of the Governments efforts to support students from Chinese independent schools.

Currently, students from these schools are allowed to get National Higher Education Fund Corporation loans to further their studies.

They are also allowed to use their UEC results to apply to teachers training colleges in the country, he said.

He said a technical committee had been set up three months ago by the Higher Education Ministry to study how students from Chinese independent schools could apply for places at public institutions of higher learning with their UEC results.

Lodin said the grant programme was launched last year with the aim of encouraging its recipients to continue their quest for excellence and set high standards for themselves so that they could reach greater heights.

The provision of educational awards and financial aid are just some of the ways in which we help Malaysian students build their long-term future, he said.

-The STAR-