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Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2016

Dear scholars,

“Khazanah Na-sional will sponsor 100 high achieving students to pur-sue education in technical and p r o f e s s i o n a l subjects in re-

nowned universities overseas. This pro-gramme aims at selecting the very best and grooming them to eventually lead GLCs. This will enhance the management capability and quality of management of GLCs.”

That was an excerpt from THE 2005 BUDGET SPEECH by YABhg. Tun Dato’ Seri Abdullah bin Hj. Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia at that time. That was when it all begin and the rest is history. Yayasan Khaza-nah was formally established on 21 July 2006. And this year in 2016, we celebrate our 10 years journey in making a difference in not only the life of a person but to this be-loved nation and the partner countries that we support through our Khazanah Asia pro-gramme.

When I was offered the opportunity to join Yayasan Khazanah, it doesn’t take so long for me to make the decision to jump ship. Every-one knows Khazanah Nasional is one of the “big boys” in the market. And being given the opportunity to be part of a foundation that looks at developing leaders for Malaysia – how much more can you ask if you want to play your role in contributing back to the country that you love.

For me, Yayasan Khazanah is somewhat dif-ferent than the other scholarships that is available in the market. Yes, it provides finan-cial means for students to pursue their studies whether it is to study locally or overseas but that is not all. While the rest of the scholar-ship provider are looking for their “future employees”, Yayasan Khazanah on the other hand has a greater purpose – to produce a steady supply of talents that eventually be-come talent pool not only for Khazanah Na-sional but for the nation. And perhaps one day, these scholars also become the change agent for humanity at large in their own fields they are in.

I think Yayasan Khazanah at this point of time – have been doing well in charting the future of many of our scholars. Our Alumni is now growing in numbers and I am proud to see that those members are doing extremely

well in their respective careers. So that spirit should not stop.

Always remember what Mr Kamarul said – “this scholarship is not to make you rich. This scholarship is given to your community by the millions of taxpayers through you”. So, look back and reflect. Ask yourself - Have I done enough as a Yayasan Khazanah’s schol-ar? Will I be able to make a different in the world I’m living in today for the betterment of the future?

You are chosen to be a Yayasan Khazanah scholar because we can see the potential in each of you. But, only you can decide whether to unleashed those potentials within you. I am proud to be working in Yayasan Khazanah and be a part of your journey in becoming somebody in the future. So, as a Yayasan Kha-zanah scholar - Be proud and make us proud!

Looking forward to seeing you during the 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner!

XOXO,

Eymie

Facts & Figures Alumni’s’ Studio

Zulaikha Zainal Effendi Nicholas M.H. Khong Md Jahid Faruki Bobby Darmawan Putri Syaidatul Akma

Activities & Happenings YKPSP Corner

In This Issue YK Link Special Edition

From the Editor’s Desk

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Geniuses aren’t Born, They are Nurtured

By Zulaikha Zainal Effendi Alumni Khazanah Bestari Scholarship Currently at KYUEM under the Khazanah Global Scholarship

“Geniuses aren’t born, they are nurtured””– Toru Kumon

I don’t believe anyone was born to be greater than another. I believe we were all born as equals; a small ball of miracle eager to make a change. Time will pass and depending on the nurturing given and the hard work one is committed to, some gems will shine brighter than others. Ultimately, that’s the work that they do in Yayasan Kha-zanah.

I wish I could explain to all the people that ever called me smart or talented that they got it all wrong. I was not chosen to become a Kha-zanah scholar because of my capabilities. Instead, I am who I am today because I was given the chance to become part of the Khazanah family.

I was not even 13 when I was first recruited. Not even 13, completely clueless and vulnerable. Then I began growing.

My manager’s faith gave me the strength to combat insecurities growing up (from hormonal issues and fashion advice to subject combination problems).

Her love recharged me when I was low (sometimes more literal than others, especially when she visits us with food during class hours).

The management’s expectations made me responsible.

Their passion for the country was contagious and infectious.

Their words of wisdom rooted deep in my heart.

Their genuine love and care taught me compassion and empathy.

Their strictness on academics and discipline gave me courage to stand up for equity.

Their understanding and generosity opened up a whole new world for me.

I caught my first snowflake, got lost in the dessert, rode on a camel, stood frozen on a winter’s night, jumped when the beat dropped, played a cello without really knowing notes, swam 3000m in a storm, spoke on a rostrum with spotlights and hundreds of eyes trained on me. I was elated, frightened, in love, heartbroken, wishful thinking, pessimistic, dazed; extreme emotions that left me breathless and amazed.

Being with Khazanah, it doesn’t rain. It pours. And that’s what life is really about.

I was given the privilege to grow in the best conditions with the best group of people. I can only hope that at some point of time, my wings will be strong enough for me to carry the rest of Ma-laysia with me on this beautiful journey.

To Yayasan Khazanah, thank you for the past 10 years. Here’s to a thousand more.

Alumni's

Studio

A Life of Purpose

By Nicholas M.H. Khong Alumni Khazanah Watan Scholarship Currently working at Institute of Bioscience,, Universiti Putra Malaysia,

Being a Khazanah scholar will always be a significant chapter of my life. Not only did YK provide me with the conditions optimised for my ever challenging PhD journey, the best thing in YK is that I am bonded with a bunch of crazy yet amazing friends. >>Continue to next page >>

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From the annual meet-ups (annual dinner) to the timely trainings and sharing sessions back to the annual YKCR Day, were the mo-ments I have always looked forward to..

It was never a breeze through the park for me to get into YK scholar-ship programme, and yet when I got in, it is definitely not a bed of roses either. Days after days for years (it feels like decades, though), I would need to manage expectations from almost everywhere: sky soaring expectations. But that’s exactly what it takes to be a Khaza-nah scholar: The Amusing, The Amazing, The Best.

Recalling the gist of the short essay that I have submitted in dur-ing a stage in the YK selection process, I wrote: ‘The purpose of my life is to lead a life of purposes’. What exactly is the purpose of life to me? As a gentle reminder to present me – ‘I aspire help myself to progress each and every day; and I hope the ever-improving me could be of help to others, no matter how tiny it might be’. Recollect-ing what I have been doing so far, I am glad that I have not sway from that path (yet) and YK would definitely be on top of the list of whom deserves acknowledgements for. I certainly hope that my YK brothers and sisters could be able to find what they truly want to do and love to do, purposefully*. It is always okay to be yourself, no mat-ter how weird it may be sometimes. Last but not least, practise com-mon sense all the time, and please remember the practise part.

* Note: Purposely and pur-posefully are different.

"Purposely" means “deliberately,” as in, “I pur-posely broke the vase Fatimah gave me because it’s ugly, and now I don’t have to use it

"Purposefully", by contrast, means “with determina-tion, intention, or meaning,” as in, “She purposefully pursued the solu-tion to the puzzle, working on it through the night.”

Marvelous Journey with YK

By Md Jahid Faruki Alumni Khazanah Asia Scholarship Currently pursuing a Master in Photonics (Physics) at Universiti Malaya

My family and friends came to Dhaka International Airport to bid me goodbye. More than 10 people including my parents, siblings, uncles, cousins and friends sent me at the airport. They travelled 300km just to say goodbye to me. My mother was crying when she waived goodbye to me. That was my first abroad trip and I was immensely excited about Malaysia. I was dreaming about an exciting life. Studying abroad was so desirable to me and I had dreamed a lot about it. At the same time, I was so nervous leaving a familiar culture, food and environment. I wasn’t sure who will take care of me in an unknown country. As I came down from the plane, the fear became stronger. For the first time I felt so lonely in a new country.

My worries stopped when I found two wonderful YK staff (Mr. Shahrul and Mrs. Shariza) holding a poster written “Yayasan Khazanah”. I was so relieved! They greeted “Welcome to Malay-sia”. That was the beginning of my life in Malaysia. Since then, YK has become an un-detachable part of my life.

How should I define YK? A scholarship provider? A talent groom-ing organisation? A garden of emerging leader? Or an amazing organisation of enthusiastic people full of positive energy? I have no idea how I can describe YK. I always believe that “Certain things are difficult to put into words and the best feeling is better left unsaid”. Let the world decide how great YK is!

I passed 5 marvelous years with YK and I’m so lucky being a part of it. I received enormous support from YK both academically and non-academically. YK nurtured me a lot and it made who I am today! Besides academic, I also participated in many leadership trainings organised by YK where I learned on leadership and al-truism. I have never missed a single programme organised by YK despite having a tight academic schedule. That, I believe shows how precious the programmes were for me!

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I love the togetherness of YK scholars. I love the bonding time and getting to know new scholars. I still miss YK events!

I consider myself lucky getting the chance to join many leadership training programmes, Civic internship etc which helps me to grow as a conscience leader to bring betterment to the society. All the pro-grammes are good, well-structured and it added many values to my life. The most memorable event was corporate warrior where YK brought us to a jungle in Pahang and we had to stay there for 3 days in tents. It rained heavily for the entire 3 days—as if someone made a hole in the sky. In spite of the bad weather, we were made to fight with opponent in paintball game, cook for ourselves and take care of our group members if they get injured with the paintball bullet (like a war, every team had their own area in the jungle and need to kill every members of the opponent with paintball shooting, and need to conquer a briefcase which the content was highly confidential). I certainly learned a lot from this activities especially during the re-flection sessions at night.

How beautiful my life was (as an YK scholar)! It was tremendous! I could never get them back again! If I had a chance, believe me I real-ly want to go back to them right now. To my juniors - enjoy your life as YK scholar and never forget about your dream. You are the best and show it to the world that you are the best. Chase your dream, work hard for it and most importantly be a good human. Love for Yayasan Khaza-

nah, love for Yayasan Khazanah’s lovely staff, Love to all YK scholars. YK is an amazing or-ganisation and keep making us amazed all the time. Love you guys.!!

Journey of a Lifetime

By Bobby Darmawan Alumni Khazanah Asia Scholarship Currently working at Bank BJB, Bandung

Pursuing graduate studies has always been my dream since small. However, as I was busy with my job, family and etc, the dream remained a dream. I only lit the dream in my heart. But I believe one who dreams and try hard to make the dream comes true will be successful. Finally the opportunity came when I was awarded a Yayasan Khazanah Asia scholarship, a form of collaboration be-tween Yayasan Khazanah and CIMB Niaga. After document sub-mission, I was called for assessment in Jakarta. I did my best to impress the selection committee and I did it.! The next step was to apply for university. I did my research and found Master of Busi-ness Administration in University Malaya as my preference. There, I went to Kuala Lumpur to reach my dream. The journey has just begun!

The Steep Journey

A question always arises in the beginning of my days in Malaysia. "Bobby, do you pay your own tuition fees or are you under any scholarship?”. By the time I explained that I got a scholarship from Yayasan Khazanah, people were in awe. Never crossed my mind that I got a very prestigious scholarship. From that moment I realized this honor is not a just an honor, but a responsibility. A major one. Opportunity given to me was not something to be wasted. I had to prove to my sponsor that they did not give this tremendous boon to the wrong person. I must succeed! But it turned out that the trip was very steep. It was very difficult to manage time, especially between school and family. Let me share with you my daily routine back then. Early in the morning I have to leave home, jostling in public transportation (usually LRT) to take my daughter to school. While she was at school, I go to li-brary to study or do my assignment. Then I will have to fetch her from school and we will go home. After a short break at home, in the afternoon I had to go back to the campus. Back home with shattered body, in the late evening, I have to continue working on unfinished assignment. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week seemed to pass quickly.

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I had no problem in studying. But to do everything in English as an-other story. In general, we Indonesians, seldom use English in our daily practice. Set aside the writing in English. But in campus, lecture was delivered in English. Assignment was written in English. Exam was answered in English. In the beginning of my enrollment, I wrote my idea in Bahasa and then I used Google Translate to create article in English. It sounded funny and hilarious. There were time when I re-read my answer during exams; I had no idea what I wrote. It was a catastrophic. My Malaysian friends helped me with my moderate English. They did proofreading prior to my assignment submission. They corrected my part for group assignment. They helped me a lot and thank you is just not enough.

Well Equipped To Be Success

Now let’s talk about how my sponsor shaped the scholarship recipi-ents. Yayasan Khazanah demanded students not only to succeed aca-demically in school but must also be well equipped with soft skills that are beneficial upon returning to workplace. For that reason, we were required to enroll in Mastery Classes, series of soft skills train-ing such as Business Class, Presentation Skills Class, etc. My favorite class was Presentation Skill. I realised that my main strength is presentation. Maybe because I did a lot of sales activities in the place I worked before. Sales pitching are my breath. But the training that I attended was totally different with Mrs. Rohanie Abdullah as the fa-cilitator and she was very good! Until now, the method of presenta-tion she taught is highly applicable. My another favorite activity was Paint Ball War. It was rough. But to be in war zone with your friends (and some of them becoming enemies) really grew our solidarity.

Adding up for students’ capability, business internship was compul-sory for us. I was lucky to be accepted as an intern at a telecommuni-cations company. I was placed in the Sales Department. Not that very different with my job in CIMB Niaga but the industry was new for me. Doing business internship quenched my thirst of work environ-ment. Yayasan Khazanah also approved my request in becoming a Research Assistant for my professor on campus. My thesis research was part my professor’s grand research. I had the opportunity to pre-sent my findings on a conference in Melbourne, Australia. Yayasan Khazanah funded my trip! All those activities, which was initially made compulsory by Yayasan Khazanah, truly gave me tremendous experiences. My horizon was widen. I have the experiences interact-ing with good qualified people.

Malaysia is My Second Home

Malaysia has every tourism genre. From historical site up to deep rain forest is available in here. Hard to pick which one is the best but my family’s favorite tourist destination is the island of Penang. Before I came to Kuala Lumpur as Khazanah scholar, I had been to Malaysia several times. However those holidays were very different with the experience living in the country. I really permeated Malaysian daily life and local culture. I realize that we are one family of archipelago, Satu Nusantara. Let us set aside the differences and focus on the simi-larities. After all, both of nations eat steamed rice cooked with coco-nut milk. Malaysians call it Nasi Lemak and Indonesian people living on the island of Sumatra call it Nasi Uduk.

As for the desserts, Malaysian dAis Batu Campur (ABC) is what we In-donesia call Es Teler. Same beverages but different names! One more similarity, we are big fans of DURIAN! For durian, I vote for the Musang King as the grand champion!

Malaysian people are wonderful too. Few people gave me hard-ship but thousands gave me joy. Combined all together I dare to say that Malaysia is my second home.

Returning Home as a Whole

For my brothers and sisters, newly members of the Big and Happy Family of Yayasan Khazanah, I can assure you that this gift will change your life. Be responsible with the grace that has been giv-en. Remember you are the chosen one thus please do not waste this gift. You come to Malaysia to study and not for anything else. Gain knowledge not only in college but also in daily life. Make lots of friends, build connections and networking. Widen your horizon by traveling. Most importantly, be grateful and always be close to God.

I never thought myself a smart one. Not a crème de la crème in class. I know that I must work hard to achieve something. I have to put extra effort than others. I always keep that in my mind and apply that to achieve my goals. If I can, I believe others can do better.

Upon returning home, I worked for two years in CIMB Niaga to serve my bond due to scholarship. Now, I am attached to Bank BJB, a local bank owned by government of West Java as Team Leader in Micro Banking Division.

What was started must be ended because life is a journey. My journey since setting foot in Malaysia until I returned to Indo-nesia has made me in-credible rich. I am rich in life experience. The story of happy, sad, and cheer-ful or any other moments are extremely valuable and cannot be exchanged with anything. I returned home full with the fullest. Standing on a stage proudly and receiving a certificate of study com-pletion during Graduation Ceremony are my tribute for my loved ones who have supported me unconditionally. And I believe they will do this until the end.

Alumni's

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Experience as YK Scholars

By Putri Syaidatul Akma Mohd Adzmi Alumni Khazanah Global Scholarship Currently working at Faculty of Law, Multimedia University

I never imagined I’d go abroad to study. I never imagined I’d do a PhD and I never imagined I’d be in one of the best university in the world. Yes, YK made it possible. Studying abroad is one of the most insightful endeavours a person can make. It not only encourages in-dependence and responsibility but it is also a humbling experience.

When I received my degree, never would I have thought that I would study again. What more, studying abroad. I buried my ambition to study abroad when my application for a scholarship program was rejected at 17. However, after 4 years practicing as a lawyer, I decid-ed that I want to pursue my studies further.

Confident that I have learnt everything that I needed to know about research in law, I started my PhD. I thought I have what it takes to do a PhD. I remember thinking, doing PhD is just 3 times of a master programme. Boy, I was wrong, how naïve can one get. My first writ-ten work was tough and the comments were unpleasant. Multiple rounds of revisions after, it got slightly easier. The whole process shattered my self-confidence and my self-esteem. There were times when I feel that I should just pack up my back and go home and nev-er turn back.

Sometimes, you will be at your lowest point, not knowing what to do. This is when it is crucial to surround yourself with like-minded peo-ple and to have a good support system. Build your network of friends and most importantly, stay ‘close’ to your family. Embarking into something new is always scary, but, with a good support system, you will be fine. YK provides that support.

As YK schol-ars, we are meant to be smart, re-s p o n s i b l e , c o n f i d e n t , m o t i v a t e d , honest, com-mitted and much more. Just google the key qualities of a leader and you will find a whole list, because, that’s what we should be aiming for – to be future leaders in our own right and to be the nation’s most valuable asset. Looking back at the different stages of assessment, I thought, it might be tough, I might not survive the whole experience, but one thing for sure, I will not regret it. As a YK scholar, you carry a brand name.

So, even though your life can be uneven, it's a work in progress, which means it has its fair share of some bumpy ride and there is no magic potion to make it work. But you learn along the way. Studying abroad, I learned about myself. I got to know parts of myself that I never knew existed. Things that were once im-portant to me no longer matter and things that didn't seem important be-fore and now matter more. I certainly came back a changed person (for the better I hope).

Being part of the Khazanah Global Scholarship pro-gramme is a liberating experience. It opens up to opportunities I would nev-er have thought I’d be able to experience. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to listen to world-renowned scholars, debate among experts from other parts of the world and at the same time, to be able to travel and explore vast array of local heritage, to be able to embrace different cultures, to understand local traditions and to facilitate social bonds and networks. And I hope yours will be too.

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Engagement with

Scholars

With our INCEIF Scholars

Catching-up session with our little

scholars at KYS

Chat over lunch with MMU

Melaka Scholars

YK Outreach

Programme

Briefing at SMS Tuanku

Munawir Briefing at MRSM

Kubang Pasu

Briefing at MRSM

Kubang Pasu

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On-boarding Session

with the Newbies

Word of Wisdom from Mr

Kamarul

Look how excited they are to be

part of the YK family!

Welcome on board boys & girls! Other Activities

Programme @ KYS Placement Unit Visits

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Majlis Tahlil &

Kesyukuran

Programme @ KYS

On 21st July, 2006 YK was incorporated as a non profit organisation. Alhamdulillah, we have officially turned 10 this year. We had a

subtle “Majlis Tahlil & Kesyukuran” to celebrate on the day itself. We would like to thank our BoTs, Scholars, Alumnis and Partners for

making the event a success.

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L eader s h ip . Cu l t ure . Mys e l f . Y K PSP S er ie s 1 Jour ney by Muhammad Z ar i s B in Z a k ar iah

“These are all the things I thought myself were so well-versed in, after years & years of facing difficulties & learning from them. Alas, I realized this past week that my learn-

ing is not complete, as it is the intrinsic nature of learning itself”

Just a few days into the program, I was exposed to the true power of controlling my perspective on life. With a few simple substitution of words, life can become “challenging” instead of “problematic”, and “doing our best” will forever overcome the uncertainty of “trying”.

Beyond the previously mentioned, it has come to my experience that they are more underprivileged souls struggling to make ends meet than I had imagined. Each one of them troubled by their past, tortured to this day by their untold story. Yet, they remain resilient & strive for their happiness, for which I believe the rest of us have an obligation to provide.

Without a doubt, the actions of myself and my small group of peers will very unlikely reverberate throughout the nation. Only with the collective action of the entire citizenship can a definitive shift be brought, yet they remain unaware, thus raising the need for a call-to-arms. Fortunately, the art of persuasive speech is not lost on me, and has been further refined throughout the program to allow us to engage the pop-ulace with little more than our voices.

The understanding of cultures will prove to be fundamental in this effort, as by knowing our differences will we truly start seeing our similarities. The boundaries of race can then be transcended to forge a path to a greater nation in camaraderie.

“I believe that the 8 competencies that form the core of this program will allow me to improve myself

alongside my fellow scholars towards becoming the pinnacle of human capital. By then, I will be ready

to use my knowledge & abilities to become an agent of awareness, an agent of change, & an agent of

progress”

YKPSP Team would like to thank all participants of YKPSP UG Series 1 & 2, and also YKPSP PG Leadership Module participants

for your awesome and lively presence! We hope to see you guys again!!