Yayasan Sime Darby fulfills dreams of 194 students

Kuala Lumpur, 18 August 2015 – The mark of a truly successful high income nation is not only reflected by the number of skyscrapers and high-speed trains that are in place, but more importantly, the investments in quality education to groom its young people to be captains of industries, world thinkers and leaders. 

Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD), the philanthropic arm of Sime Darby Berhad has always placed heavy importance on its Education pillar since its inception in 1982 as part of its CSR initiative to build the country’s talent pool. For the past 33 years, the foundation has spent more than RM217 million for scholarships and bursaries, benefitting 2,519 students from different segments of society, to pursue their academic dreams. 

This year, YSD is giving out RM9.5 million to 194 promising students from various backgrounds. One of the recipients is Mohammad Yusri bin Azis, 22, a YSD Special Needs scholar from Sg. Petani, Kedah. Although Yusri is differently abled, his shortcomings have never stopped him from having a ‘vision’ in life. 

Blind since the age of seven due to high fever, Yusri, who was raised by a single mother from a broken home, vowed to make a difference in his life to help his family. 

Since his primary school years until Form Six, Yusri has set his goal to pass with flying colours in order to secure scholarships and be admitted into a good school. Though it was not an easy path, he strived to excel and refused to cave when stumbling blocks threatened to halt his dreams. Yusri is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Malay Studies at the University of Malaya (UM).

Tan Jia Hui, 23, from Kajang, another a recipient of YSD’s Special Needs Scholarship was also born blind. Raised by a carpenter father and a housewife mother in a family of five, Jia Hui never gave up his quest to pursue his dreams.
 
Jia Hui admitted, “I am an average student, I would say. It occurred to me when I was in Form Six that time does not wait for anyone. I knew that I had to put in more effort in my studies and it didn’t matter what course I was pursuing, as long as I secured a degree. For me, this is my ticket to success and that makes education my top priority.”

Shema Tharsyini A/P Malarawan, 19, from Kluang, Johor was absolutely thrilled to discover she was awarded YSD’s first ever scholarship programme in Indonesia under the YSD Undergraduate Scholarship Programme to study Mechanical Engineering at the Institut Pertanian, Bogor. Raised by a single mother since the age of eight, Shema was determined not to let the stigma of coming from a broken family cripple her success. She maintained her stellar results throughout school and scored a 3.74 CGPA in matriculation. Shema still recalls vividly her reaction when she received the news of being selected for the scholarship. 

“I was euphoric! I sent out so many scholarship applications to various organisations, but none came back to me. I almost gave up and I believe now in the saying, when one door closes, another one opens!”

Meanwhile, Helmi bin Hamid, 19, of Bajau-Brunei origin from Sabah, has been using his own savings to fund his own studies. His father left the family since he was small and his mother whose source of income is selling kuihs in Semporna, single-handedly raised all 12 of her children.

Helmi, a scholar under the YSD Diploma Bursary Programme is currently pursuing his Diploma in Computer Science (Information Technology) at Kolej Yayasan Sabah. 

At the YSD Scholarship Award ceremony today, 32 students received scholarships worth RM4.3 million to pursue pre-university and undergraduate studies at top universities in China, Indonesia and Malaysia. Meanwhile, 162 students received bursaries worth more than RM5 million under the YSD Bursary Programme, which assists students from low-income families and those who are physically challenged to pursue tertiary education in any field of study at local public and private universities.

For the very first time, the prestigious ‘Star’ scholarship award was awarded to the nation’s top swimmer Lim Ching Hwang, 19, who is pursuing his Bachelor of Business Administration since September 2014 while undergoing training to become a world-class professional at the Ohio State University, one of the top five swimming universities.  His participation in the recent 28th Sea Games in Singapore earned him and his quartet comprising Daniel Bego, Kevin Yeap, Welson Sim a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay men’s swimming competition.

YSD Governing Council member Tan Sri Dato' Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin said YSD has always placed emphasis on its Education pillar, which aims to promote educational equality to all regardless of their race, creed, gender and background.

“Even in the face of adversity, there are no limitations to what young people can do as long as they have the passion, drive and perseverance to chase their dreams. These are very crucial elements to succeed and it also requires grit. However, we also understand that sometimes, even with a burning desire, financial woes can be a challenge for certain individuals to reach the stars. Through our support, we hope our scholars are able to fully focus on their studies and aim for the best in whatever they do.

“As the famous Chinese proverb says, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. It is hoped that our support will bring these students to greater heights,” he said during the Award ceremony.

To introduce and equip YSD scholars with relevant leadership and personal skills to prepare as future leaders of Sime Darby, 37 scholars under YSD’s Excellence Scholarship Programme and four top Indonesian scholars under Minamas Plantation are attending a five-day Scholars’ Development Programme at Sime Darby’s Merlimau Training Centre in Malacca this week.

For further information, please contact: 

Nursyuhada’ binti Bakhid
Yayasan Sime Darby
Tel: 03-2711 0283
Email: scholarships@simedarby.com

About Yayasan Sime Darby
Yayasan Sime Darby, or Sime Darby Foundation, was established in 1982 and is the primary driver of Sime Darby Berhad’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. 

The objectives of Yayasan Sime Darby are supported by its five pillars, namely: community and health; education; youth and sports; arts and culture; environment. While led by independent members of a Governing Council and managed by a dedicated team, Yayasan Sime Darby works closely with the Sime Darby Group, in areas of mutual interest. 

Since its inception, Yayasan Sime Darby has awarded scholarships worth RM217 million to 2,519 students both in and outside Malaysia. It is supporting long term research projects of significant scientific value like the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project which is the world’s largest ecological project, a joint effort with the Royal Society (The UK and Commonwealth Academy of Science). Yayasan Sime Darby is also actively involved in the development and improvements of sports in Malaysia namely track cycling, lawn bowling, cricket, tennis and golf. Under its community & health pillar, Yayasan Sime Darby supports initiatives to promote the well-being of disadvantaged people irrespective of race, culture, religion, creed or gender and works with established organisations to promote the development of arts & culture.