Marking a record RM39mil commitment to nurturing talent, Gamuda paves the way for the next generation of leaders
STEPPING away from digital screens, fostering genuine human connections and committing to continuous reading are the true foundations of leadership.
That was the core message shared by Gamuda Group managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling during an informal coffee session at Menara Gamuda with a select group from the latest cohort of Gamuda scholars.
Appointed to lead the group at age 26, Lin spoke candidly about navigating complex challenges early in a career where academic theory meets real-world ambiguity.
The gathering comes as Gamuda marks a dual milestone – 50 years of operations and the 30th anniversary of its scholarship programme.
To mark the occasion, Yayasan Gamuda raised its allocation to RM39mil for 2026, backing 206 scholars selected from 4,096 applicants, with nearly 80% coming from B40 and M40 households, and 15% hailing from East Malaysia and indigenous communities.
Rather than a rigid corporate briefing, the session offered scholars a direct line to Lin and senior leadership.
Instead of simply receiving advice, the scholars had the opportunity to ask probing questions and gained rare insight into the strategic thinking behind sustained, long-term careers centred on personal judgement and character.
Real edge in an AI era
Lin offered a measured, grounded view on technology, critical thinking and the value of experience outside the classroom.
He reminded students to master the usage of artificial intelligence (AI), but to never surrender one’s own thinking to it.
Most people overestimate what digital tools can do overnight, he noted, while underestimating how thoroughly they will reshape work over the horizon.
Routine tasks will be handled by machines, but the qualities that define real leadership – sound judgement under ambiguity, empathy, sharp observational skills and steadfast character, cannot be automated.
Academic excellence alone, he reminded them, only tells a fraction of the story.
“EQ, effective communication, keen observational skills to read environments and how one treats people matter far more than raw technical ability.
“The real test of an engineer or a leader happens outside lecture halls – getting onto project sites, stepping into unfamiliar environments and learning to adapt when the messy reality on the ground refuses to match the textbook,” he said.
His warning against excessive screen time stemmed from a deep concern for mental health and genuine human connection.
A glowing screen, he cautioned, confines a young person to digital isolation.
“As users endlessly scroll, algorithms feed them content tailored strictly to their preferences, trapping them in an echo chamber that reinforces narrow narratives that may not reflect reality.
“In contrast, stepping away from the screen to foster real relationships and engage in continuous reading builds the mental resilience, perspective and emotional maturity required to lead,” he noted.
That exchange resonated deeply with Keane Wong Ren Yi. Ask most students about the toughest part of competing for a top scholarship and they will point to the gruelling interviews. For Keane, the biggest obstacle was applying for one.
“There are many people who never take that first step. But if you do not take it, you will never truly know how far you can go,” he said.
Raised in Rawang and educated in Subang before completing his A-Levels at Sunway College, Wong’s trajectory appeared seamless on paper.
He had already secured a place at a university in the United Kingdom to pursue a degree in pure mathematics. However, he later realised his interest lay in multidisciplinary engineering rather than pure mathematics.
Demonstrating the very judgement and self-awareness Lin emphasised, Wong made the bold decision to relinquish the offer and take a gap year – a choice that required as much conviction to step back as it did to re-apply for a scholarship.
“It came down to a single tipping point where I decided to commit fully and try again.
“Taking that time allowed me to reset and examine where I had faltered and how I could improve,” he explains.
Today, Wong is bound for the University of Cambridge to pursue mechanical engineering as a newly minted Gamuda scholar.
Beyond academics, Wong is keen to immerse himself in Cambridge’s vibrant college culture, particularly the traditional weekly dinners known as “formals”.
“For me, it is all about the conversations. Sitting across from people in entirely different fields like Law or Economics gives you fresh perspectives.
“I just want to listen, learn from others and have a good time,” said Wong.
Cambridge’s curriculum, which provides a general engineering foundation covering electrical, mechanical, information and biomedical streams during the first two years, will also prepare him for his future career with Gamuda once he returns from studies.
“Gamuda is continuously innovating and pivoting. I hope to bring different perspectives to various projects and play a role in that ongoing evolution.
“Throughout this past year, so many people have impacted me in ways big and small. I hope to pay that forward,” he said.
Adversity as fuel
Turning to personal backgrounds, Lin spoke with quiet empathy to scholars carrying family responsibilities, encouraging them to see how their unique circumstances can shape their ambitions.
Reflecting on his own early years managing immense pressures when he was barely older than the students across the table, he reminded them that coming from modest circumstances is not a setback.
When anchored by discipline, disadvantage becomes an enduring source of inner drive that classrooms simply cannot teach.
Twenty-year-old Ivy Doria embodies that resilience, showing how an individual opportunity can translate into broader impact for others.
Hailing from Kuching, Sarawak, her journey to higher education was paved with quiet determination and deep familial gratitude.
Raised in a single-parent household by her mother alongside three siblings, financial limitations were a constant consideration.
Seeing her mother work tirelessly to support the family instilled in Ivy a profound sense of responsibility and a desire to ease her family’s financial load.
“My mum raised four children on her own. Watching her struggle made me realise how much effort went into raising us. Getting this scholarship was a way to lift that burden off her shoulders and give back,” she said.
Securing the Gamuda scholarship, however, required navigating an intense personal balancing act.
Ivy undertook the comprehensive, multi-stage selection process right in the middle of sitting for her final International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations at Kolej MARA Banting.
“I had to manage my time strictly between revising for papers and preparing for the scholarship assessments.
“But looking back, that experience taught me invaluable lessons in stress management, time allocation and self-awareness,” she recalls.
Ivy stood out from the crowd by articulating a razor-sharp vision for her academic and professional future.
She is set to attend the University of Toronto in Canada to pursue a degree in Computer Science, specialising in AI.
Besides providing full financial coverage and personal independence abroad, the scholarship guarantees a structured six-year career pathway with Gamuda upon her graduation.
“My goal is to integrate digital technology and AI into Gamuda’s construction workflows to drive efficiency.
“At the same time, I want to bring that expertise back to Sarawak.
“Many underserved communities in East Malaysia are still left behind in terms of infrastructure and digital development. I want to be part of the effort that builds them up,” Ivy shares.
Living proof of concept
What gave Lin’s advice real resonance was that the scholars did not have to imagine what that trust looked like – they were looking right at it.
Sitting alongside him were three senior leaders, all still under 40, who once sat in those very same scholar chairs.
They included Gamuda Engineering managing director Justin Chin Jing Ho, Gamuda Engineering deputy managing director and Yayasan Gamuda head Lim Hui Yan, and group chief digital officer John Lim Ji Xiong.
Their lived experiences provided a tangible blueprint of what the scholars’ own career paths could look like.
Chin advanced from a tunnel engineer through critical tunnelling operations to helm Gamuda Engineering.
Hui Yan started as a tunnel engineer managing high-tech tunnel boring machines before rising to lead Gamuda’s data centre portfolio.
John started as a mechanical engineer on the MRT Putrajaya Line before mastering coding and automation to direct the group’s digital transformation.
Today, half of Gamuda’s top 30 business leaders began as scholars. For Wong, Ivy and their cohort preparing to depart, the coffee session was less a formal orientation than a generational passing of the torch.
Just as Lin was trusted at 26, Gamuda continues to place deep faith in young talent, proving that 30 years on, the scholarship is a long game – shaping not just where scholars go, but who they become and what they ultimately contribute to nation-building.
