King congratulates Malaysian students accepted to study at Harvard College

PETALING JAYA: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has congratulated the two Malaysian students who have been accepted to study at Harvard College in Massachusetts.

He expressed his happiness and pride over Jarell Cheong Tze Wen and Muhammad Hamdi Ahmad Hakimi’s outstanding achievements.

“This in turn has raised Malaysia's name at the international level. The success of the two youths once again proves that Malaysia is capable of producing individuals of quality, authority and of international standard," he said.

“This success also proves that with commitment, high spirits and hard work, Malaysians are able to compete and succeed on the international stage, ” added the King in a statement posted on Istana Negara’s Facebook.

Both students will be pursuing their bachelor’s degree; Muhammad Hamdi plans to further his studies in Economics and Cheong in Mathematics.

“These two students, who are the pride of all Malaysians, were among 1,968 students who were selected and passed the strict qualification level from a total of 57,435 applications from around the world," said the King.

He added that both Muhammad Hamdi and Cheong are products of the national education system with Muhammad Hamdi being a graduate of Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah before completing his A-Levels at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar as a Bank Negara Kijang Scholar.

“Meanwhile, Cheong completed his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and A-Level at Sekolah Menengah Seri Bintang Utara, Kuala Lumpur and Sunway College, Petaling Jaya, ” the King added.

He expressed hope that their success will be a source of inspiration to all Malaysians, especially youths, to work hard and strive to achieve success in their respective fields.

“I wish Muhammad Hamdi and Cheong the best of luck and pray that they are blessed with continued success and continue to bring pride to Malaysia's name on the international stage in the future, ” his majesty said.

In addition to his academic prowess, his majesty said Cheong has also represented Malaysia in the SEA Games DanceSport events, competed under the Malaysian flag at the Asia Pacific Mathematics Olympics and competed in international chess tournaments.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Hamdi is a debater who has provided tuition lessons to secondary school students.

“He is more philosophical, discussing his worldview and opinions on current issues, ” said the King.

Cheong and Muhammad Hamdi are part of the 1,968 students who were accepted for the Class of 2025 out of the 57,435 applicants - a total acceptance rate of 3.43%.

Harvard College is the undergraduate school of Harvard University, one of the world’s top higher education institutions.