Leaders of the statutory body, Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman, discuss helping young Malaysians build a better future for themselves through leadership training, mentoring and scholarship programmes
Education can be a powerful tool for transforming lives and societies. Through imparting knowledge and skills, it can enhance a person’s social mobility and reduce the inequality they face by opening up more opportunities for them to pursue their aspirations and exercise their potential.
An organisation supporting and enhancing the role of education in Malaysia’s nation-building process is Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman (YTAR). The statutory body aims to empower young Malaysians to reach for their dreams through programmes such as Closing The Gap, FutureReady and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship. Closing The Gap is a programme targeted at secondary school students to enhance their university accessibility while FutureReady, a 3-month partnership programme between YTAR and Accenture Malaysia, is tailored for university students to equip them with the essential skills, knowledge and practical experience to succeed in the job market.
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YTAR has supported more than 9,000 students to date through higher education access, as well as scholarship and employability programmes. Here, we discuss its efforts and future plans with YTAR trustee and the granddaughter of the man the organisation was named after, Datin Sri Sharifah Menyalara Hussein (or Datin Lara Hussein as she is known by many), and its chief executive officer, 2023 Gen.T honouree Ida Thien.
Continuing a legacy of compassion
YTAR was founded on the principles upheld by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first chief minister of the Federation of Malaya who strongly advocated for education. “He believed in shaping Malaysia’s future through its youth and wanted to support education, ensuring that young people had access to a wide range of skills,” says Datin Lara Hussein. “He was all about knowledge and using education to improve yourself and increase your self-confidence, self-esteem and worth.
Through its programmes, YTAR is also educating its students to embody and embrace their differences, and to be respectful of others.
The foundation was initially set up to support students pursuing higher education, says Thien. “We understand how people have different starting points in their learning journey and we offer them the tools to get them to their objective. When we want to support students or youth to get there, we also take a more compassionate approach to scholarship selection.”
YTAR has since re-evaluated its definition of excellence for students who have completed their programmes and scholarships, removing the minimum CGPA requirement for eligibility.
“That’s not to say that we don’t value academic excellence, but we also consider other factors,” says Thien. “Many of our students are the first generation in their families to attend university. They juggle multiple careers and side jobs to afford their education. At the same time, they have the vision to consider the impact of this experience on their community.”
