PETALING JAYA, June 1 (Bernama) -- As part of KPMG in Malaysia’s ongoing commitment to champion lifelong learning and empower quality education for B40 and young talents nationwide, a total of 156 recipients were awarded under the KPMG Education Trust Fund (“the Trust”).
 
Speaking at an award ceremony held recently, Datuk Johan Idris, Managing Partner of KPMG in Malaysia and Chairman of the Trust, said, “We’re pleased to offer financial and academic development support to these successful recipients, and we look forward to helping them reach their full potential to become the next generation of leaders. We believe in investing today for a better tomorrow, and the Trust is one way KPMG can continue this commitment.”
 
The Trust is collectively funded by the partners of KPMG in Malaysia, and is committed to disburse up to RM500,000 annually through four sponsorship and scholarship programs: KPMG Young Spark, KPMG Young Star, KPMG Young Excellence and KPMG ASEAN Scholarship.
 
This year, a total of 125 children from B40 communities studying in selected public primary and secondary schools were the chosen beneficiaries of the KPMG Young Spark fund. The sponsorship covers financial aid of RM750 per primary school student and RM1,000 per secondary school student.
 
To date, the following are the selected schools across 6 states in Malaysia that have joined the program: SK Convent (1) Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur, SK Taman Sri Muda and SMK Dato’ Haji Kamaruddin in Selangor, SMK Bukit Gambir in Penang, SMK Permas Jaya 2 in Johor, SK St. Anne’s Convent in Labuan, SMK Limbanak in Sabah, and SJK(C) Chung Hua Tudan and SMK Sg Tapang in Sarawak. KPMG anticipates more schools from other states to onboard the program in the coming months.
 
In addition, the academic development of 16 students from B40 communities studying in local public colleges and universities are supported under the KPMG Young Star program, where each recipient received a one-off monetary aid amounting RM4,000 as a contribution towards their pursuit of academic success.
 
The award ceremony also presented sponsorship to 6 children of KPMG personnel across several branch offices under the KPMG Young Excellence program. This program includes a one-off financial support of RM2,500 per recipient.  
  
The KPMG ASEAN Scholarship program continues its annual run with the awarding of 9 undergraduates in the 2022 cohort, with successful applicants coming from Multimedia University (MMU), Taylor’s University, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK).
 
Each of the 9 receives an annual scholarship grant of RM12,000 per academic year, internship placement opportunities, mentorship by KPMG leaders, and a guaranteed employment opportunity with KPMG in Malaysia upon graduation.
 
Datuk Johan emphasized the need for education and comprehensive professional development opportunities to help young talents maximise their potential. Last year, the World Bank noted that the pandemic widened existing learning gaps between children in Malaysia, with an estimate up to 1.3 years of additional learning losses for students. ¹ Accordingly, on top of the monetary aid provided to the recipients, KPMG is also committed to organizing various programs and activities aimed at grooming the students into aspiring leaders and changemakers.
 
He added, “The pandemic experience of the past two years has been a global reset, which has reminded us to focus on the things that matter. Access to quality education can affect the development of our nation’s economy and capacity building. Through this Trust, we want to provide those in need with the opportunity to learn and grow so they can possess the capabilities to create a lasting positive impact for better.”
 
The Trust is aligned with the Prosperity category of the global KPMG Impact Plan, which aims to drive purposeful business practices and good corporate citizenship. To learn more, visit www.kpmg.com.my/EducationTrustFund