2,016 students receive scholarships worth RM17.2M from Jeffrey Cheah Foundation

• Last October 10, 2,016 students received scholarships from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF). This year's scholarship value reached a record mark of RM17.2 million, the highest annual value of scholarships. Moreover, it is the first for JCF to award a scholar to the prestigious University of Cambridge.

The largest education-focused social enterprise in Malaysia, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation hosts such ceremonies annually to award and recognise deserving students.

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad graced the event as the Guest of Honour presenting scholarship awards to the recipients accompanied by Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, AO, Founding Trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. Also in attendance were members of the JCF Board of Trustees, Datuk Seri Razman Hashim, Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam and Tan Sri Rainer Althoff; Lee Weng Keng, CEO of Sunway Education Group; Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director of Sunway Education Group, Prof Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University and Teo Ee Sing, Executive Director of Sunway College and Sunway-TES.

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The highest scholarship value was awarded to 19-year old math whiz, Liew Ziqing who will pursue a four-year Masters in Engineering degree at the University of Cambridge[/caption]

The amount awarded in 2013 brings the total scholarships awarded to-date by the JCF to more than RM132 million.

“I am extremely pleased and grateful that the Foundation is able to contribute back to society through providing quality education. It is my hope that the Foundation will be able to touch as many lives as possible by continuing to provide opportunities to those deserving students who are otherwise denied the access to a good education” said Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah.

He added, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation recognises that there are deserving men and women in each generation, who, like you, given the opportunity, can contribute towards society, and with each generation, become wiser, better and stronger.

Tun Dr Mahathir in his speech, praised the effort of the foundation saying that is a sterling example of how the private institutions can lead the way for the millions of talented young Malaysians who can transform our country to the high-income nation that she is destined to be through a social enterprise vehicle.

The largest scholarship sum awarded to any one student, so far through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation – Sunway  scholarship programme worth RM720,000 was  awarded to 19-year old math whiz, Liew Ziqing who will pursue  a four-year Masters in Engineering degree at the University of Cambridge for the October 2013 intake. The scholarship will cover his full tuition fees, accommodation and subsidised living expenses during his studies at the University of Cambridge.

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 The amount awarded in 2013 brings the total scholarships awarded to-date by the JCF to more than RM132 million.[/caption]

Liew was presented the scholarship based on his impressive academic performance. He had scored 10A’s (8 of them are A+s) in SPM when he was at Chong Hwa Independent High School, Kuala Lumpur; and had previously received the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award by the University of Cambridge International Examinations for securing the highest mark in Malaysia for AS Level Mathematics in the November 2012 examinations.

He was one of top students who represented Malaysia in the 45th International Chemistry Olympiad in Moscow, Russia and won the Bronze medal. He also won a Silver Award for the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad 2010 as well as received a Distinction on each occasion that he participated in the Australian Mathematics Competition in 2007, 2008 and 2010. He was in the Top 0.3 % in the Australian Mathematics Competition in 2011 where he won a prize. He also had received a distinction and is in the Top 25% of contestants in the world in the Euclid Mathematics Contest in 2012. He was the valedictorian for his A-level class at Sunway College.

Upon graduation, Liew will join the Sunway Group as an engineer.

The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Scholarships comprise various scholarships falling under the broad categories of academic achievement, talent and need. The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Community Scholarship is awarded to financially disadvantaged students including those who reside in welfare homes.

This year the ceremony was attended by more than 700 comprising the scholarship recipients, parents, lecturers, corporate/education partners and invited guests.

For more information about the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and to learn about its contributions towards education, please log on to www.jeffreycheahfoundation.org.