Yayasan Sime Darby collaborates with Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera, offers bursaries to needy students

Kuala Lumpur, 20 April 2017 – Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) will collaborate with Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera to award RM18 million worth of bursaries to 240 underprivileged Bumiputera students over a period of five years under the Peneraju Tunas Potensi–YSD Bursary Programme. 

The collaboration will see YSD award bursaries to 80 underprivileged Bumiputera students each year for the first three years of the programme.

Yayasan Peneraju will manage and administer the selected scholars throughout the five-year sponsorship period at zero management cost and also cover the cost of an annual skills development programme valued at RM5,000 per student.

YSD Chairman Tun Musa Hitam said the collaboration is in line with the objectives of the Foundation’s Education pillar, which prioritises educational assistance for deserving and needy students to pursue higher education. 

“As one who was actively involved in the early stages of the National Economic Policy, particularly with regards to offering educational opportunities to the underprivileged Malay rural community, and now as YSD Chairman, I am proud to be part of this collaboration.

“YSD is partnering with Yayasan Peneraju which shares the same vision to assist underprivileged Bumiputera youths to have access to higher education and provide them with an opportunity to economically uplift their families. 

“The YSD Education pillar helps to improve the quality of life of the underprivileged, by providing them with an opportunity to break out of the poverty cycle.”

“This core belief has driven YSD in support of another programme of great significance to us, which is the Tabung Mengubah Destini Anak Bangsa. This programme, which is a partnership between YSD and University Teknologi MARA (UiTM), will involve about 5,000 students who would have been unable to continue their studies due to their underprivileged status, if not for YSD’s support of RM6 million for 6 years until 2018,” he said. 

During the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Roadmap 2.0 launch yesterday, Tun Musa and YSD Governing Council Member and Sime Darby President and Group Chief Executive Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh cemented the five-year collaboration, handing over RM18 million to Yayasan Peneraju under The Peneraju Tunas Potensi-YSD Bursary Programme.

Sime Darby President and Group Chief Executive and YSD Governing Council Member Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh (second from right) hands over a mock cheque of YSD’s contribution of RM18 million to Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Razak (fourth from right) for the Peneraju Tunas Potensi–YSD Bursary Programme after the launch of the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Roadmap 2.0 yesterday. Also in attendance was YSD Chairman Tun Musa Hitam (right), Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (third from right), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (second from left) and Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera Chief Executive Raja Azura Raja Mahayuddin. 

The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera Board of Trustees’ Chairman. 

Applicants of The Peneraju Tunas Potensi–YSD Bursary Programme must be Malaysian students, aged 25 years or below, from families with a monthly household income of RM3,000 and below. 

The programme which was open for applications from 16 March 2017 to 14 April 2017 garnered more than 1,900 applications. 

YSD and Yayasan Peneraju will carry out a scholarship assessment exercise from 22 April 2017 until 14 May 2017 at three locations, namely the Klang Valley, Sabah and Sarawak. 

Under the Education pillar, YSD has to date committed RM253 million towards providing scholarships for academically excellent students, with an emphasis on those from low-income families and marginalised communities, as well as supporting initiatives that reduce gaps in access to quality education between urban and rural societies.

Yayasan Peneraju holds the mandate as the catalyst for Bumiputera capacity enhancement towards the creation of a globally competitive community. 

The entity aims to increase the quality, quantity and relevance of Bumiputera talents to be in line with Malaysia’s vision of achieving a high income nation status by 2020 through academic and vocational education.

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: education; environment; community & health; youth & sports; arts & culture. 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 RM253 million to 3,357 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, and the Reforestation and Rehabilitation of Orang Utan Habitats in Northern Ulu Segama. 

Yayasan Sime Darby is also actively involved in the development and improvement of sports in Malaysia namely track cycling, cricket, sailing 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. 

For further information, please contact:

Meena Lakshana
Senior Executive, Public Relations
Yayasan Sime Darby 
Tel:  03-2691 4122 Ext 7614, 013-256 7160 (HP)
Email: meena.lakshana@simedarby.com