‘Young star’: Choo from UTAR is among less than 30% of applicants chosen to receive the scholarship.
IN order for young talents to reach their full potential, access to quality education is of paramount importance.
Cognisant of the financial struggles faced by those in the B40 communities, KPMG Malaysia through its Education Trust Fund has recently awarded 156 students with monetary aid through its four sponsorship and scholarship programmes.
This would see 125 primary and secondary schoolchildren benefiting from KPMG Young Spark, 16 tertiary students from the KPMG Young Star, six children of its personnel from the KPMG Young Excellence, and nine undergraduates from the KPMG Asean Scholarship.
On top of receiving monetary aid, the beneficiaries will have opportunities to take part in various programmes and activities aimed at grooming the students into aspiring leaders and changemakers.
Speaking at an award ceremony held recently, KPMG Malaysia managing partner and Trust chairman Datuk Johan Idris emphasised the need for education and comprehensive professional development opportunities to help young talents maximise their potential.
“Access to quality education can affect the development of our nation’s economy and capacity building.
“Through this Trust, we want to provide those in need with the opportunity to learn and grow so they can possess the capabilities to create a lasting positive impact for better,” he said in a press release dated June 1.
The Young Spark sponsorship covers the financial aid of RM750 per primary school pupil and RM1,000 per secondary school student.The children are from selected public schools in Malaysia, namely, SK Convent (1) Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur, SK Taman Sri Muda and SMK Dato’ Haji Kamaruddin in Selangor, SMK Bukit Gambir in Penang, SMK Permas Jaya 2 in Johor, SK St. Anne’s Convent in Labuan, SMK Limbanak in Sabah, and SJK(C) Chung Hua Tudan and SMK Sg Tapang in Sarawak.
The Young Star programme, which supports the academic development of students studying at local public colleges and universities, offers an RM4,000 one-off monetary aid.
Among the recipients is Choo Yung Kang, a student at the Faculty of Accountancy and Management in Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR).
Choo said with the scholarship, he will also be able to participate in the KPMG Boot Camp and any internal events held by the company.
“I am extremely grateful for this scholarship since less than 30% of applicants were chosen for it. With it, I can continue to achieve my professional and educational goals,” he said in a separate press release.
The Young Excellence programme includes a one-off financial support of RM2,500 per recipient, while the Asean Scholarship programme awards an annual scholarship grant of RM12,000 per academic year, internship placement opportunities, mentorship by KPMG leaders, and a guaranteed employment opportunity with the company upon graduation.
The successful applicants are from Multimedia University, Taylor’s University, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.
Collectively funded by the partners of KPMG Malaysia, the Trust is committed to disbursing up to RM500,000 annually.
