Yayasan Khazanah, a foundation that offers scholarships to premier universities both internationally and locally, would like to reiterate that the award of its scholarships are based strictly on excellence, with a robust, merit-based and rigorous selection process. After a pre-qualification based on academic and extra-curricular excellence, Yayasan Khazanah institutes further tests and interviews, in particular in the area of leadership potential.
Since its inception in 2006, we are pleased to report that the Khazanah Global Scholarship has attracted an overwhelming interest from applicants and a sterling track record to-date of accomplishments from its scholars. Yayasan Khazanah has also established institutional links with several centres of academic excellence including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
The Khazanah Global Scholarship, as announced during the 2005 Budget speech, is limited to 100 places at any one time. Since 2006, a total of 103 global scholarships have been awarded to Malaysians, of which 71 are currently in various stages of undergraduate and post graduate study. A total of 24,000 of the pre-qualified eligible students who made the minimum qualifying threshold (currently at the minimum of 8As for undergraduate) had applied over the years.
In addition to the global scholarships, Yayasan Khazanah has also awarded 46 Khazanah Asia Scholarship (for students from outside Malaysia to study in Malaysian universities) from over 4,500 of the pre-qualified eligible students who applied between 2008 and 2011; and 34 Khazanah Watan Scholarship (for Malaysian students to study in Malaysian universities) from over 6,000 of the pre-qualified eligible students who applied over the same period.
In the current academic year, Yayasan Khazanah has received over 3,000 eligible applications for Khazanah Global Scholarships programme, of which seven scholarships were awarded to successful candidates. For the Khazanah-Cambridge Scholarship which resides under the same programme, three scholarships were awarded, out of 98 applications from eligible candidates, of whom all have received offer letters from Cambridge. The competitive nature of the scholarship awards is clearly reflected by its ongoing popularity and we are encouraged by the continuing interest of the public.
With reference to news reports published in several newspapers on 11 June 2011, of which a parent had accused Yayasan Khazanah for not being transparent, we categorically deny the allegation and reiterate that every effort and more was undertaken to provide appropriate explanation of the stringent selection process. In addition, the requirements, term, process and standards for the award are clearly stated to all applicants when they come for selection. In this regard, Yayasan Khazanah would like to reserve its rights and stands firm by its selection process that has been instrumental in delivering its track record to date.
