Organised by the Division of Examinations, Awards and Scholarships, the ceremony was attended by UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, representing UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat, and BMMB Board of Trustees Member Sister Fu Han. Also present were the 35 bursary recipients, Dean of Faculty of Business and Finance Dr Au Yong Hui Nee, Deputy Dean for Academic Development and Undergraduate Programmes of Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology Ir Dr Ng Choon Aun, Head of Department of Information Systems of Faculty of Information and Communication Technology Ts Dr Rehan Akbar, BMMB Board of Trustees Member Sister Fa Gong, BMMB Committee Members Sister Dong Cao, Brother Wen Jun and Brother Huai Chao, UTAR staff and students.

Sharing his appreciation to BMMB for their kindness and support to UTAR students, Prof Choong said, “On behalf of the UTAR management and community, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to BMMB for their generosity in giving this Bursary Awards to UTAR students since the October 2017 trimester. This financial assistance will certainly provide a sense of financial security for the recipients while motivating them to excel further in their studies without much worries. Thank you once again for having such a big heart. At the same time, congratulations to the recipients as well.”

He added, “Driven by the belief in transforming lives through quality yet affordable education, as well as the altruistic intention of serving the community, the University strives to keep the fees affordable while lending a helping hand to students who encounter financial difficulties in funding their education. As of August 2019, the University has been disbursing internal scholarships and loans to deserving students, and to date, the University has disbursed a total of RM186.4million in internal scholarships and RM13.6million in internal loans to 17,670 deserving students.”

In her speech, Sister Fu Han thanked the University for the opportunity given to assist needy UTAR students. She also expressed her honour to be a part of this UTAR JinBodhi Bursary sponsorship and hope the sponsorship would help the recipients in achieving their goals and inspiring them to give back to the society. “These scholarships will not only provide the students with financial assistance but also allow them to be brave in chasing as well as pursuing their dreams. With the aid that they receive today, I hope that it will help them become role models for the future generation and to contribute towards the betterment of society.” Sister Fu Han also announced that to date, BMMB has sponsored bursary award for more than 100 UTAR students.

A sharing session was held in which all the recipients shared gratitude messages and how the bursary has brought relief to their respective family’s financial stress. This was followed by a presentation of token to each participant as a gesture to motivate them to excel further in their studies.

Banking and Finance student Cha Pui Mun, who received the bursary award and came from a single-parent home said, “I am very much grateful for this opportunity. The bursary really means a lot and it took some pressure off of my mother. I promise I will put in my best effort to excel in my studies.”

Another recipient from the Faculty of Business and Finance Cheah Chin Chin thanked UTAR and BMMB for selecting her as one of the recipients of the bursary. The Retail Management student added, “I have to work part-time jobs to help lessen my family's financial burden as I am the eldest of three children. After receiving the bursary, our financial burden was lightened. Now, I am able to focus more on my studies and I hope to score good results in my exams.”

The ceremony came to an end with a group photograph with the bursary recipients.

Founded as a not-for-profit private university with a mission to provide quality yet affordable education to all, UTAR offers numerous scholarships and study loans for needy and deserving Malaysian students. Click here for further information.

To apply for the UTAR JinBodhi Bursary, please visit here.

Other external scholarships and loans for UTAR students can be found here.