Ahmad Nizam (centre) and Prof Mohamed Ibrahim (sixth from left) posing for a group picture with the representatives of sponsors at the Tapestry of Colours Charity Dinner.
IF there was one takeaway from Yayasan Universiti Teknologi Petronas’ (YUTP) charity dinner, it was the passion of its students in raising funds for a good cause.
The Tapestry of Colours Charity Dinner (TOCCD), which raised more than RM700,000, was aimed at raising funds to grant scholarships to deserving UTP students.
Since 2010,1, 736 scholarships and bursaries have been awarded, said UTP vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib.
“We are not stopping anytime soon. In providing opportunities to pursue education among Malaysians, YUTP is actively building its scholarship fund,
particularly to award education grants and bursaries to underprivileged students, ” he said.
Prof Mohamed Ibrahim shared the story of a UTP scholarship student in chemical engineering named Izyan Farhana A Kaher, who was enabled by YUTP to complete her studies and later landed a job at Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd.
“YUTP changed the course of her life.
“It is our fervent hope that all YUTP scholars will not only have promising outcomes but also
deliver sustainable impact and there is shared success for all involved, ” he added.
About 300 guests attended the dinner, including Petronas chairman, UTP pro-chancellor and TOCCD patron Datuk Ahmad Nizam Salleh, UTP industry partners, corporate guests and UTP alumni.
Guests were entertained with performances by talented engineering, science and technology students from the UTP Performing Arts Group, Interbeatz Dance Crew, Sanggar Kirana and the UTP String Ensemble.
University students put their heart and soul into giving solid
performances throughout the event, showcasing their skills in renditions of Frank Sinatra’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Adele’s When We Were Young, as well as traditional tunes such as Antara Selat and Madah Teruna.
The high-quality performances were delivered with great aplomb and greeted with thunderous applause.
YUTP also launched the “I Share“ campaign to raise RM75mil over five years to ensure financial sustainability in helping students achieve their academic dreams.
The event coincided with UTP’s 23rd birthday, which it celebrated in a meaningful manner by separately collecting funds for five different corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, all of which have a core in supporting the growth of future generations and sustainability.
At the end of the night, the fundraiser successfully gathered an additional RM36,920 in pledges.
These will be channelled to a project to raise funds for training and facilities for the UTP rugby team — the UTP Drillers — to produce a future generation of all-star rugby players; the UTP gamelan group Sanggar Kirana’s project to preserve the cultural heritage of gamelan; soup kitchen Beacon of Hope to provide food for the underprivileged; social voluntary programme Youth Cleanup Day to combat the global solid waste problem; as well as the A-Qual Life project aimed at providing access to clean water for the Orang Asli community in Simpang Pulai, Perak.
Contributions for the charity dinner came from corporate and individual sponsors, including Dialog Group Bhd, Seadrill, TechnipFMC, Conocophillips, Synerlitz Sdn Bhd, KLCC Property Holdings Bhd, Transwater API Sdn Bhd, QR Apparel Sdn Bhd, Uzma Bhd, Code of Origin Sdn Bhd as well as from Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister and UTP alumni Yeo Bee Yin, under the Special Minister’s Allocation.
